The True Garden
by Halalcohol
Summary: An extensive novelization of FFVIII. The president of a military dictatorship threatens world peace when he appoints a mysterious Sorceress as his ambassador. It's up to a young mercenary and his team to stop them, but they soon uncover a nasty surprise.
1. Prelude and Liberi Fatali

**A/N**: It's a feat that has been attempted numerous times. I guess that makes me another hopeful candidate, seeking to finish a complete novelization of Final Fantasy VIII. I admit that I was tempted to give up several times, and I had left this project to sit for seven months before finding the momentum to continue. But here it is at last, twelve years after the game was released and almost a year since I began writing. I have about ten chapters finished, which will quickly make their way onto the site. After that, updates will be quite rare; I write and edit really, really slowly, and I also refuse to update chapter by chapter. It'll be in clusters of chapters.

Obviously, my rendition has been tailored to my own preferences as well as to fit the novel format, and so you may find several facts, events, and time lines to be different than they were in the game. For example, the Draw system has been modified to be more of an MP system, while retaining most of the Draw/Junction aspects ("Squall stocked three Waters!" just sounds silly in a book). You will also find some scenes and events to be completely original. On the other hand, I've tried to incorporate as much dialogue directly from the game as possible.

Many crossover elements from other titles in the series have found themselves inserted, mostly in the form of items, terms, and concepts. Consider them to be like Easter eggs if you notice them hiding around.

Please feel free to review; as a matter of fact, I strongly encourage you to tell me what you think. I won't get any better labouring under my own delusions.

**Disclaimer:** *Sigh* Do I really have to do this? What a waste of space. But I'll be paranoid and write a disclaimer.

I, the author, do not own Final Fantasy VIII, or any of the other titles in the series. I am not in any way affiliated with Square Enix (Squaresoft at the time), nor do I gain profits from the (...er) reading of this novelization, which is intended solely for entertainment. All characters, dialogue, themes, images, and other indicia, except those of my own, are property (subject to copyrights?) of Square Enix Co., Ltd.

Geez, was that really necessary? Whew. Now you can go enjoy your reading. Thanks, everyone!

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><p><strong>Fithos<strong>

_Wake from your sleep, my children_

**Lusec**

_Your childhood years are gone_

**Wecos**

_Wake from your sleep, children of fate_

**Vinosec**

_Your rest is gone  
><em>

_Farewell, children_

_From the day of fate_

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><p><strong>PRELUDE<strong>

"_I'll be here…"_

"_Why?"_

"_I'll be 'waiting' here."_

"_For what?"_

"_I'll be waiting… for you… so… if you come here… you'll find me. I promise."_

The unsaid words danced around her, laughing, taunting, and crooning.

The girl stood in the field of flowers, clutching her elbow with her hand. She shifted her weight uneasily as the wind picked up, the train of her sleeveless, blue duster dress trailing behind her. Her eyes flickered wearily across the landscape. The meadow was deserted. This obviously wasn't the place. She sighed as the sun was engulfed by a cloud, frowning in an effort to remember. The girl started to run again, not sure where she was going, but not caring much either. Her long, black hair blew into her face, and she shook it away impatiently. What seemed like a minute passed by and she stopped again, panting lightly. She had searched across plains, mountains, deserts, fields, and even oceans, but still, she couldn't find him. Had she forgotten where they were to meet?

The patches of sky above the clouds were still a bright cerulean, but she knew it was getting late now. She'd have to head back soon. The wind picked up, hurling pink primrose petals into the air. They tickled her legs as she stared blankly at her surroundings.

He wasn't there. The inevitable conclusion was like poison. It leached through her body, knotting her throat, churning her stomach, and blurring her vision. Her ears pounded with deafening fury in the silent air. Dazed, hazel eyes swept over the vistas that did not exist. It took her a while before she returned to her senses.

The sky grew darker and darker as clouds fused together, strangling the tentative streams of light peeking through. Another gust of air rustled through the grass, sending more pink petals flying. One of them hovered in front of her. She reached out a hand and it landed in her palm. Before it could flutter away, she clenched her fist, crushing it in misery.

A curious tingling spread through the girl's arm, and when she opened her hand, a single slender, white feather floated out. Her eyes widened in amazement, and she brushed her hair back absently as she watched it float higher and higher, disappearing into the now opaque sky.

A distant rumble broke her gaze. Despair flooded through her mind, shattering her calmness; she needed to leave now. She looked down at the silver ring strung onto her simple chain necklace. Her right hand moved up to clasp it. She closed her eyes for a moment, and then headed for the direction she thought was home. A fork of lightning flashed in the distance, and for a split second, it was as though the faded angel wings painted on the back of her ribbed dress were glowing pure white.

Eight thousand miles away, the same burst of light glinted off the blade of a sword, spinning wildly as it came crashing down.

**LIBERI FATALI**

There was a loud crack as the weapon sliced into the ground. A monstrous boom rang out from the sky while rain continued to pelt down at the two men duelling below. The black gunblade stood there, poised and ready to be reclaimed. Its name was Hyperion, a fusion of sword and gun, custom built by the owner so it was lighter and swifter than any common sword.

The man with cropped blond hair grabbed the handle and wrenched it out of the cracked, calcified dirt. He pointed Hyperion at his rival, a cruel grin on his face. The brown haired man replied with a swing of his own gunblade, Revolver, which the blond dodged easily. Though a simple model, Revolver proudly displayed its unique lion tattoo, engraved onto the forte. An identical lion keychain hung off the handle, rocking violently with each strike.

The blond's green eyes softened tauntingly at his opponent as he swung his blade up to parry a blow. A third shot by Revolver's wielder was deflected. The blond spun around, his grey trench coat flaring out as he flung his sword up into the air again. The other stopped dead and stared up at the dark sky, squinting from the rain to see where cold steel would land. A flash of lightning pierced through the stormy air, blinding him and forcing an arbitrary dive to the side. The blade struck far from where he crouched, carving harshly into the ground. As Hyperion's master grabbed his weapon, the other rushed towards him, unleashing a flurry of strikes. One, two, three, four, and five clangs echoed off the rocky terrain as each was tossed aside. The trenched man smirked devilishly as he beckoned at his rival with his finger.

As the brunet charged forward, his rival swung his blade out in a circle, causing the other to duck. He ended his roundabout with an uppercut, forcing the black-clad man to roll to the side. With a swift flick of the wrist, Hyperion came slicing down at his opponent, who blocked poorly and staggered backwards. The broad, black sword struck out with its flat surface, hitting him in the stomach. The blond stood waiting as his enemy tried to get back up.

Completely winded from the blow, the brunet struggled to his feet, wiping his soaked hair out of his eyes. Again, Hyperion was pointed at his chest. Knocking it away, he made a quick swipe across his opponent's waist. Hyperion's wielder leaned back to dodge, then lunged his sword forward. The brunet quickly sidestepped it, and lifted his weapon for a coronal cut from the head. There was a loud grinding noise and a shower of sparks as Revolver slid down Hyperion, and with a quick thrust the blond forced the other back. The red cross on the shoulder of the his trench coat started to glow, and the brunet's eyes widened in alarm. He spun his sword in his right hand and charged ahead with his left palm out. But the taller man had started charging his attack first. He unleashed a fire ball, which hit the unsuspecting man hard, lifting him off his feet and hurtling him backwards.

The leather of his jacket protected his skin as it scraped across the rough dirt. Revolver clanged to the ground beside him; he could barely maintain his grip. The brunet stirred feebly, grimacing and pushing himself onto his elbows, but as he met the malicious eyes of his opponent, he froze in traumatic horror. There, towering above him, the blond held Hyperion high above his head. He watched hopelessly as the same grin spread across his face, and the blade came whistling through the air, slicing into his forehead. Blood splattered onto the earth, fading instantly as the rain washed it out. The brunet's free hand scrambled to steady his bruised body as tears of pain welled at the fringes of his eyes. With a contorted glare, he unhinged himself from the ground.

_Damn you, Seifer Almasy._

In a second, he was on his feet. As electric blue streaks of light surrounded him, he drew the tip of his sword along the ground, bringing it into Seifer's stunned face with all his strength.

The brown haired man woke up lying on a hard bed. It was probably early morning the next day, though he was too tired to open his eyes and check. For a few seconds his mind was ecstatically empty, but then the haunting memory of the previous night bubbled into reality. He and Seifer had been on the cliffs inside the training centre. They were supposed to be practicing on the monsters residing there, but Seifer, complaining as usual that they were too easy, had suggested a duel, "just for fun, of course." Squall knew if he refused, the news would spread throughout the academy. And so they fought, and… well… at least he'd managed to return Seifer's cut. They had both walked to the infirmary in silence, enveloped by countless stares and whispers. Instructor Aki hadn't exactly looked delighted either, with all the blood dripping through the halls.

His head felt like a lead balloon, both expanded and heavy. It didn't help how the bandages across his forehead were too tight. He wanted to adjust them, but was afraid if he moved them, his face would explode in pain. The soft wind playing over from the window was a nice relief, though the shadows dancing over his eyelids as the drapes fluttered back and forth were confusing. He heard footsteps approach his bed and finally opened his eyes. Doctor Kadowaki's face loomed over him, her hands on her hips. Her pitying eyes rendered him a pushover.

"How are you feeling?" She was a short woman, whose long, white lab coat reached further than her dark blue skirt. Her black hair was done up in a tight bun under her hairnet, which she always wore, even when she wasn't working.

"Fine."

"Are you sure? Nothing wrong at all?"

"… My head hurts." He regretted the detail immediately.

"Well no wonder!" The doctor launched into speech, her expression twisting into a stern frown. "You and Seifer could have killed each other. The training centre is not for students to… brutally murder one another. You're lucky he didn't pull the trigger on his gunblade. That would have been really bloody… …Anyways, looks like your eyes are focusing. You should be fine. Say your name for me."

_What the hell? I'm not three. _"Squall Leonhart," he said, very annoyed with the treatment he was getting. He closed his eyes again.

"You sound sane enough." She started to search her lab coat pockets.

"…Is he here too?"

"Seifer? No, he requested to be discharged yesterday. Said he was feeling fine and didn't need to stay, so I let him leave. His cut wasn't very deep. You on the other hand…" She extracted a pair of scissors. "Let's change those bandages, then. Sit up please."

Squall slid himself into an upright position, becoming rather light-headed as he moved. He noticed he was in the single intensive care unit in her office. The glass wall on his right had the drapes open, so anyone in the inpatient room could see him. Not that there was anyone else here, except maybe the occasional medic or alchemist doing research. Doctor Kadowaki cut the bandages and threw them out into the blue trash can under the night table.

"Why don't you take it easy in training?" Her tone was much softer now. "Next time you might not be so lucky."

Squall looked away, annoyed. "Tell that to Seifer."

"That Seifer…" she said, shaking her head and reaching for a bottle of ointment on the nightstand. "Won't listen to anyone. Why don't you ignore him?"

"I can't just… run away," Squall finished lamely, slumping back on the headboard.

"So you want to be cool, huh? Well don't kill yourself in the process." The doctor applied the gel to his cut, holding his head still as he winced in pain. Standing back, she admired the bottle. "Hm, this new skin repairer works really well. Odine brand. He's the best in magical goods. But you should know all of that by now."

Indeed he did. Almost all of Squall's textbooks referenced the man's astounding work. Dr. Odine was the famous scientist who discovered the Junction System that allowed normal humans to use a weak version of sorceress's magic with the aid of powerful beings. These creatures were known as Guardian Forces, or Summons. 'Para-magic', as it was coined, could be produced by a user whose mind had been 'junctioned' to that of a GF. GFs were the whole basis of Balamb Garden's mercenary force, SeeD. They could dramatically augment the powers and abilities of any human aligned to them, boosting brains, brawns, even beauty to superhuman levels.

The doctor snipped a strip of white gauze fabric and bound it to Squall's head. "You're still going to be left with a scar, though. At least until Odine comes up with a wound vanisher. Let's see… Your instructor is… Ms. Trepe! Right?"

Squall nodded.

"I'll call her now. Just wait a minute." Dr. Kadowaki walked back to her desk. Squall heard her pick up the phone and dial. "Hello? Quistis? You can come and pick up your student now. Yes, yes. Nothing serious, it'll probably leave a scar. What? Oh, of course! The Headmaster loved it!" She laughed heartily. "Oh, and have you heard?" Her voice dropped below an audible level. Squall's forehead had stopped burning, so he lowered himself back down and covered his eyes with his arm, careful not to apply too much pressure to his wound. A few moments later, he heard the phone click back into its receiver.

_Has class started yet? What time is it? I wonder what we're doing today. Heard some rumours…_

"Squall, so we meet again." Squall opened his eyes and turned his head. A woman was looking at him through the window. Short brown hair framed her familiar face. Squall frowned as he tried to remember where he had seen her before. She wore a blue camisole top with a white skirt. Her arms were bound by a simple green scarf. What was even stranger than her familiarity was that he had heard her soft voice clearly through the glass. It seemed to resonate in his head. Maybe he was imagining it. Maybe he had just chosen to open his eyes when she arrived. The woman gave him a sad smile and left the window. Was she a medic whom he had talked to a while ago, but forgotten? _Whatever… _

Squall closed his eyes again, but before he could settle back down to his thoughts, he heard the airlock on the office door release. At first he thought it might have been the mystery woman so he opened his eyes in anticipation, but a clacking of heels was followed by the appearance of his instructor. Quistis Trepe walked up to his bed, wearing her usual SeeD uniform.

The teacher saw him lying there and sighed, her blue eyes sparkling from behind round framed spectacles. She leaned over at him, her red tie swinging forward. Squall saw the shiny instructor's badge pinned in the middle and shifted uncomfortably as she gave him an all-knowing smile. She crossed her arms over her black blazer and brushed away her dark blonde hair, done up at the back. Two long fringes hung in front of her shoulders; it was her usual style. There was a moment of silence, as if she was testing him to see if he would spew an excuse or shake off his injury, but then she spoke.

"I knew it'd either be you or Seifer. Everything fine?"

"Yes."

"Come on then, let's go. Today's the field exam."

"Field exam?" The doctor rolled her blue armchair out from behind her desk with a sceptical expression. "Are you sure he should participate?"

"He'll be fine. Don't worry. He's my best student." Instructor Trepe smiled at her and exited the infirmary.

"Don't get injured again!" Kadowaki called out after Squall, who stumbled slightly as he followed his teacher. "I have a class to deal with today, so I can't help you!"

Voices from the courtyard drifted into the sunlit corridor through the pane-less windows. Apparently, class had not started yet, which would also explain why Squall was being escorted from the hospital wing by his instructor. Squall noticed she was staring at him as they slowly made their way to the main hall through the open passage. He ignored her, keeping his gaze fixed on the purple stripe painted on the floor.

"Squall, is there something on your mind?"

He continued to walk for a bit, maintaining steady eye contact with the ground. "…Not really." He turned to look at his instructor, who was smiling to herself. She had echoed his words at the exact moment he had said them. Trembling, she held back a laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"Funny? No, no, it's not that. I'm just happy. I feel like I'm finally beginning to understand my student a little, that's all." She distracted herself by adjusting the red and gold cuffs of her outfit, brushing a lock of hair out of her collar.

Squall continued walking, taking no notice of her actions. He stepped to the right of a small stream of students coming their way, annoyed at their hang up to get a good look at his forehead. But he couldn't resist countering his teacher's remark. "I'm more complex than you think."

"Oh, really? Then tell me. Tell me more about yourself."

Squall scowled at the ground and started to walk faster. "That's none of your –"

"Business!" She stopped moving and laughed again, attempting to muffle the sound with her hand. Squall put his hands on his hips and looked away, waiting for her to finish.

They resumed their passage, but Squall was now staring pointedly at the students chatting and laughing in the quadrangle, hoping she'd take the hint.

"So tell me, is there anyone in this world you confide in? Whom you talk to just for fun?"

Squall was spared the task of answering with a simple "no" by a series of chimes that reverberated around the building complex.

"Oh gosh, it's already nine!" said Instructor Trepe, double checking with her watch. "I have to have a quick word with Instructor Xu before today's homeroom. Better run!"

Squall gave her quite a bit of distance before he started to follow.

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><p><strong>AN: **I absolutely HATED that fight scene. Of all the scenes that I've written, that one took the most editing, and it still isn't quite right. You will never again see such a detailed battle.

Remember to comment and review!


	2. Balamb Garden

**A/N: **I now realize why no author seems to take the time to respond to comments made by others, and why, when they choose to do so, they insert their replies into the next chapter; you can't reply to reviews. Not without sending a PM, at least, which bothers me to no end. FFNet really needs to make a proper reply function. It's my belief that if someone takes the time to R&R, authors should do the same with comments that they receive. I guess I'll have to resort to replying like this...

Dead Pollen: Thanks! I just hope I'll be able to continue providing quality chapters. I think I edited the Prologue and first chapter the most, simply because they need to leave good first impressions, so if you notice a drop in polished-ness, tell me.  
>I never expected anyone to like that fight scene. Maybe I've just been staring at it too long. It was hard to choose a POV because I wanted the cinematic feel of the FMV; I settled for third person objective after accidentally using omniscient, which was quite disastrous.<br>You'll definitely see what sets mine apart; one of them being my characterization of Squall. The way many other authors treat him bothers me; they seem to emphasize his coldness and indifference to the point of unlikability. I don't find him to be that way at all, and besides, it's much harder to connect with a story when the protagonist is unlikable. I've chosen instead to make his manner humourously serious. Also, I write large chunks of exposition a bit differently from other authors. You'll see what I mean in this chapter.

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><p>The metal door slid open as Squall walked into the classroom. Like they had in the hallway last night, students gawked and whispered wherever he went. By now, everyone must have heard the news. He proceeded to the back as usual where he had chosen to sit since day one – alone and out of sight – hoping he would meld together with the computer terminal and stay invisible. Unfortunately he couldn't hide like that in the corridors, not with his formidable reputation; nobody would spare him a second glance if he had not earned the highest marks for the past three terms, and his infamous clashes with Seifer and antisocial personality merely raised the hype. In fact, the more he tried to avoid attention, the more he seemed to receive; many students had come up with a sort of challenge against each other to see who could befriend him first. His weapon was unique, too. There were only two students in the history of Garden to specialize with the gunblade: him and Seifer. They were both role models when it came to combat, though Seifer's intrinsic fighting style and failure to follow instructions tended to get on the nerves of teachers.<p>

As Squall approached his terminal, he noticed the red screen.

**YOU ARE [0:06] HOURS LATE. PLEASE WAIT**

**FOR AN INSTRUCTOR TO CLEAR YOUR NAME.**

He sat in silence, ignoring the chatter of voices from the idle students and staring up at the two giant screens behind the instructor's desk. The lower panel presented a model of the solar system in real time with a few statistics and measurements on the side, while the upper screen displayed a physical map of the world. He identified the only official city on the small, island continent of Besaid: Balamb Town. A dot slightly to the east of the city pointed out the school. His stare shifted to the intricate patterns carved into the cream coloured walls, and then to the wood paneled floor, but Seifer, whose desk was right beside him, drew his gaze like a black hole. Still facing the front, Squall shot a glance from the corner of his eye. Seifer's eyes were closed and he had his feet propped on the desk. The only thing separating them was the aisle. It was rather awkward to be sitting there, and Squall had a mad urge to turn his head so he could see Seifer's scar.

Instructor Trepe walked in and approached her horseshoe desk, ushering a group of students standing at the front to their seats. "Good morning class." Everyone quieted down instantly. That was the effect she had on others. Whether it was because all of the boys were too busy drooling over her to continue their conversations or because the girls all saw her as a role model, Squall wasn't quite sure. Instructor Trepe was the youngest person to ever become an instructor at the Garden. She was somewhat of a prodigy, passing her SeeD exam at the highest initial rank of ten and obtaining her instructor's licence with first class honours. She was only a year older than Squall, but her maturity was respected by all. She even had her own fan club, started by one of the dazed boys sitting in the front row.

Squall remembered the beginning of the year when he suddenly had to start addressing her as "Instructor Trepe". It was quite a weird feeling, not being able to call out "Quistis" when he wanted her attention (which was basically never) and being taught by her the lessons she had so recently learned herself. But she fulfilled her duties exceptionally, and he no longer thought of her as just "Quistis". His train of thought was interrupted as his instructor began with her housekeeping duties.

"Let's start with today's schedule. There seem to have been some rumours flying around yesterday," she said, checking her agenda. "Yes, the field exam for SeeD candidates will begin later this afternoon." This statement sparked a flare of whispers and excited exchanges. "A call will be made at 15:30. Those participating should assemble in the lobby. Those not participating and those who failed last week's written test or the prerequisite are to remain in study hall, classroom 2F-004, for first period. Field exam participants will have free time until the exam. Just be sure you're in top condition. I would suggest stocking up on some potions and checking your weapons." She stopped to flip a few pages.

"For those wishing to have their weapon upgraded, the Garden weapon shop is currently closed. There will be a shuttle to Balamb Town leaving in twenty minutes so you can visit their store, The Junk Shop. However, the return trip will not be covered. You must make your own arrangements. Any questions?" she finished, closing her planner. A man at the front raised his hand. Instructor Trepe narrowed her eyes before nodding.

"Will you finally go out with me on a d–"

"No, Wagher," she said, her nostrils flaring as the class laughed. "And I'd like to speak with you after we're finished. Any _relevant _questions?

"Oh, and Seifer." Seifer tilted his head up slowly, frowning at being singled out. "Do not injure your partner while training. Be careful from now on."

Seifer turned his head slowly to look at Squall, who refused to stare back. He straightened up, pounded his fist on the table, then slunk back into a recline, obviously indignant to the fact that his partner had mirrored his actions without consequence. Instructor Trepe chose to ignore him as she started up her laptop. "Field participants, I will see you later. Dismissed." There was a bustle of noise as people began to move about, though most remained in their seats. Squall chose to stay seated too, so he could avoid the crowds of people in the halls. The red screen on his computer terminal disappeared with a tag that read "BYPASSED", so he decided to check the news.

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><p>Front Page – The Balamb Press<p>

Galbadia Not Withdrawing

The Dollet Times

DOLLET – The recent assault by the Royal Galbadian Army and Royal Galbadian Navy on the Dollet Dukedom continues into its third day. At approximately 16:00 on Tuesday, Galbadian soldiers imposed their way through the city walls from the north, while battle ships carrying fleets of soldiers landed on the Lapin Beach harbours in the south. Regularly stationed Dolletian guards attempted to intercept them, but even with the addition of the full army an hour later, Dollet's dismembered military was forced to withdraw into the mountains to reorganize.

The duchy is currently in a state of destruction. The harbour front has been demolished, and the building fires are out of control. Local authorities have ensured the evacuation of all citizens, though many have died from the initial bombing. Estimates of the civilian death toll are currently at 200, with many more missing or lying trapped in the rubble.

It is uncertain exactly what the Galbadians are after, though the forces seem to be heading for the Central Square. International affairs expert Gwendolyn Burtch feels certain they are trying to capture the city.

"Take a look at the history of Galbadia under Vinzer Deling's rule. Eighteen years ago, during the Sorceress War, he took over the country of Timber, demoting it to a city and crushing its recent independence in order to salvage the area's natural resources. The War ended a year after. Did Deling choose to allow the protesting citizens to reform their nation? Of course not. Instead, he stationed half of his military force to arrest, torture, and jail anyone who so much as sneezed, skyrocketing taxes to cover the costs. Literally hundreds of resistance groups and human rights advocates keep the D-District Prison full, including his political opponents. Several previous attacks on Dollet have failed, but does Deling stop? No. He has implied quite clearly through his actions that he wants the whole continent for himself.

"Dollet is already a great asset to Galbadia as a trading partner, but owning it would give them several economic advantages. Dollet is a giant port supplying the inland countries with sea products. It's full of wealthy people. It's an industrial powerhouse. The land around it is great for farming. If I were Deling, I'd certainly be trying to claim it too. While the Dolletian forces are crumbling, Galbadia has shown no signs of weakness, and we can expect that this time, Dollet Dukedom will indeed become the City of Dollet."

Adrianna Promose

The Dollet Times

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><p>Spotlight – The Balamb Press<p>

Plant Your SeeD in a Garden

So your son or daughter is nearing the age of four and it's almost time to send him or her to school. Chances are you're just going to drop him off at the local elementary school every day and pick him up again in a few hours. Or maybe you'll pay a couple thousand Gil to push her into that private school a few miles down. But before you make your mind up, please consider, just for a moment, enlisting your child into a Garden Academy.

Accepting youth from the ages of four to nine, candidates must pass a thorough psychology examination as well as an entry test. The chances of getting in are slim, but once that little girl of yours makes it, she's guaranteed the best education the world has known of. And best of all, it's free!

I had the chance to interview Jaen Xu, an instructor at Balamb Garden who has lived and learned there ever since she was five.

Q: "Why would you recommend for parents to send their children to school at Garden?"

A: "Well, Garden is known internationally for its outstanding academics program, as well as its very successful alumni. Many people think Garden is just another military school. But it isn't. Indeed, Garden's goal is to build an elite force serving as both peacekeeper and peacemaker across the globe, but there are so many other paths you can take. Each academy offers different programs, suited to a variety of different professions. Here at Balamb Garden, students finish the standard twelve year course material taught in elementary and secondary schools relatively early, while also devoting their time to specializing in one of several course sets. The main set offered at Balamb Garden is the SeeD preparatory set, quite self-explanatory. Trabia Garden is research focused, and produces outstanding scientists, philosophers, and mathematicians, while Galbadia Garden is also known for its athletes, information technologists, and engineers. Neither of the latter two are licenced to train SeeDs, but Galbadia Garden has an Advanced Placement program for any Garden student wishing to enlist in the Galbadian army. So really, Garden offers the opportunity to get ahead in life."

Q: "What makes a SeeD different from, say, the average Galbadian soldier?"

A: "SeeD is a highly specialized mercenary force. About one in ten Galbadian applicants become a soldier. If you take into account the Garden entry rate as well as the SeeD qualification rate, one in three thousand will become a SeeD. Furthermore, Galbadia's hiring criteria are modified relative to the candidates. They must accept at least a certain number of recruits each year. Garden will not accept students if they do not reach the standard, and so some years will see no SeeD graduates.

"SeeDs are trained in more than just combat. They often work under cover, and so it is crucial they learn absolutely everything there is to learn. A heavy focus is placed on learning skills. SeeDs must seem as calm and natural as possible in all situations, and so they must be able to pick up information and memorize it in a snap. This is obviously a valuable ability outside of their occupation and regardless of whether the student becomes a SeeD."

Q: "Tell me more about combat."

A: "This is the main difference between SeeD and other militaries. Doctor Odine's Junction System has completely revolutionized the world, and Garden takes advantage of that. Most people don't really understand what it's about, so let me explain the basics.

"While researching sorceresses, Odine was able to find one willing to cooperate with him. He devised a way for normal humans to replicate sorceress magic through the manipulation of energy and force fields. This 'para-magic' was created by expending stored energy. It seemed to be a promising advance for military forces, but the problem was that people had to be hooked up to a large machine in order to obtain and manipulate energy, and the machines could not store a substantial amount. While considering solutions to this, Odine revealed Guardian Forces, or Summons, and their abilities to extract, store, and convert energy. He also discovered they could be fused to the minds of living creatures, including humans, boosting our capabilities to unimaginable levels. Therefore, by 'junctioning' GFs to us, we can instruct them to Draw energy from other living beings and manipulate it to our desire."

Q: "I've heard from several sources that junctioning these GFs can have negative impacts on the user. Is this true?"

A: "So far, there is absolutely no evidence to support any theories about GFs harming their users. Arguments such as the fact that GFs cause memory loss are merely rumours being spread by critics who seem to be under the impression that because a GF's mind is combined with ours, it digs up a spot for itself, inhibiting proper brain function. But really, that's like saying learning is dangerous because it pushes out previous knowledge. The brain is not a rigid container."

Q: "Alright, thank you very much, Ms. Xu. Lastly, where can I find out more about Garden?"

A: "Check out our website. It's full of information, and has a virtual tour of the schools."

Richard Elliot

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><p>"Oh, Squall, I need to talk to you." Instructor Trepe's voice carried clearly over those of the remaining students. Squall looked up, hesitating for a moment, thinking it might be about Seifer. But then his face blanched and his eyes froze. He realized it was about something far worse. Logging off his terminal, he reluctantly shuffled up to the front of the classroom to where his instructor was answering a concerned trainee's question. Three students standing off to the side closed in on him.<p>

"It is an honour to be called over by Instructor Trepe," the girl with the high ponytail said in a rather hostile way. Squall had forgotten her name, but he was certain he didn't have any classes with her other than homeroom, so he didn't care much. He had a feeling it was Pamela.

"Try to smile when you're talking to Instructor Trepe," said the dark skinned Wagher, whom Quistis had instructed to remain behind.

"Don't be rude to Instructor Trepe!" said the brunette leering at him, whose name he couldn't remember at all. The 'Trepies', as they called themselves, slowly backed away, almost melting into the wall. Squall ignored them completely, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. Instructor Trepe spoke to him.

"Squall, you haven't been to the Fire Cavern yet, have you? I don't have a mark recorded. You won't be able to take part in today's SeeD exam if you don't pass the prerequisite."

His guess was right. He folded his arms and stared at the ground. _I was gonna go this morning, but Seifer…_

"Hm, do you have a good excuse?"

Squall knew he didn't. The written test results came back last Wednesday. He had been given nine days, but he had decided to put it off until the last minute. His teacher would never allow Squall to use Seifer as a scapegoat this time. "…Not really," was all he said.

"Then let's get going," she replied. "Oh, but you haven't had breakfast yet, have you? Maybe you should grab something to eat. I have to finish up a few exam preparations, anyway. I'll meet you at the front gate in twenty minutes."

Squall nodded and attempted to follow her out of the class room, but the Trepies were blocking his way yet again.

"I… I'm so jealous!" the brunette wailed. "Maybe I should take up that subject too! What did you take this year? Tell me! Was it the SeeD set?"

"Alone with instructor Trepe…" muttered Wagher. He snapped his fingers in disappointment.

The suspected Pamela glared at him before speaking. "If anything happens to Instructor Trepe, the Trepies will get you back!" Squall shook his head, exasperated. He walked out of the room, right into a pair of boys in a casual debate.

"Parallel sciences? Are you _crazy_? Why the heck would you take parallel sciences?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Look man, sphere theory is done with." The dark skinned boy drew his hand through the air like a knife. "We follow grid theory now."

"Yeah, but… I want to learn about both, so I can see for myself why grid theory is a better model," the taller of the two replied. "Sphere grid theory seems like a really good compromise, too."

The black boy rounded on Squall. "What do you think?"

"…The past is the past. There's no use dwelling on it. If you want to keep up, you have to keep moving forward."

He frowned for a moment, trying to understand what Squall had just said, then turned triumphantly to his friend. "See? I told you so."

They continued to bicker as Squall moved past, their voices carrying long after they walked out of sight.

By now the halls were empty, so Squall didn't have to stare at the ground to avoid eye contact. He passed the usual "NO MAGIC OR WEAPONS IN THE HALL" sign, its cheap laminate peeling off. As he prepared to turn the corner, a feminine voice rang out.

"I'm late, I'm late, I'M LATE!" Squall rounded the bend and felt as though a train had collided into his chest. "Waaah!"

Squall had to take a few steps back to steady himself, but remained standing. The girl, on the other hand, was thrown backwards. She landed hard on her behind and a pained expression flashed onto her pointed face. Squall would have very much liked to continue walking, but his conscience told him that that would be bordering on cruel. "Are you okay?"

The short girl got up slowly and smiled. Her hair was ridiculously styled. It was about shoulder length, but the sides and back were all curled so high it seemed unnatural. Squall had never seen anything like it, though he noticed it complimented her foreign face quite well. Her bright green eyes sparkled at him as she brushed her uniform off. "There," she said, shrugging as though it didn't really matter. "Sorry, I was kinda in a hurry." Squall nodded and made to continue down the passage, but found himself blocked by the girl. The top of her head barely reached his neck.

"Oh yeah, hey. Did you just come from that class?" She pointed down the hallway. Squall nodded again. "Is homeroom… over?" Squall nodded impatiently for the third time. "Wooo… oh no! This place is so much bigger than my last Garden!" Squall made for the elevator ahead, but once again, the girl was in his way.

"Oh, hey, hey! I just transferred here. Do you think you could give me a tour of the place?"

_Sorry, I'm too busy, _he would very much have liked to say, which would have been the truth; after all, he only had twenty minutes, but at that moment, Instructor Aki came into view, his moustache bristling in the way it always did when he was angry. Students weren't supposed to be loitering in the second floor hallway, and he didn't want to get into trouble with Aki yet again, so: "Follow me," was what he muttered to the girl, walking quickly.

"Thanks!" They continued down a bridge connecting the main hallway with the elevator. It was surrounded by benches on both sides and wide open to the floors above and below. Other bridges were linked to different floors, stacked up in a helix. A student sat right beside the elevator with his hands folded in his lap, apparently waiting for a lift. The girl ran up to one of the benches and kneeled on it.

"Oh, wow! I never noticed the view on my way up! This is so cool!"

"Sure is," said Squall absently.

"So… If I happened to be a bit taller, and I leaned a bit too far over the edge… Then I'd fall _all _the way down, right?"

"Hm." His answer was neither a confirmation nor a denial.

"By the way, what… er, happened to your forehead?"

"…Nothing."

The girl cocked her head and gave him a questioning look, but did not say anything.

"Hey Squall!" The man waiting for the elevator called him over. "Do you want these? My brother gave them to me, but I'm not much of a fan of Triple Triad. Here, take them." The man held out a small deck of cards, embellished with bronze frames on the back.

"No thanks. I don't know how to play."

"What!" came the small girl's voice right behind him. "You don't know how to play Triple Triad? That's humanly possible? You should take them. I could teach you some time!"

"…Whatever." Squall took the cards to avoid any further conversation. _Maybe I _should_ learn. It can't be that bad, can it? If the whole world plays? But then again…_

There was a ding as elevator number four arrived and all three of them got on. Squall pushed the small button with a faded 'G' painted in blue.

"How many floors are there?" asked the girl, who was attempting to jump up from behind Squall so she could see the panel. Squall was silent, so the other man answered.

"Well, there are four main floors. Are you new here?"

"Yeah. I just transferred from Trabia Garden."

"Oh, I see. Then let me explain a bit. The first floor has a bunch of recreational areas. The second to fourth floors are where all the classrooms are. The fifth floor is a party hall, and the top floor is the Headmaster's office. Students aren't allowed there without permission, and the party hall is only used for SeeD inauguration dances. It's also out of bounds." The doors slid open, and they walked out.

"What's the Headmaster's name?"

"Cid Kramer. He's a nice man, and he's been Headmaster ever since the Garden was built. Oh, and by the way, he insists that you call him Headmaster Cid. He hates being addressed by his last name. Anyways, then we have the basement level," the man continued as they walked down the short flight of stairs. "We aren't allowed there either. I'm not quite sure what it's like, but I heard there used to be classrooms."

"Oh, wow. Thanks!" The girl waved at the man as he left.

The first floor was a huge open space. There was a circular hallway with spokes radiating away, each leading to a different wing. On a raised platform in the centre where the walkways converged were eight elevator shafts, arranged in a circle and separated by a moat from the main hall. Water pooled out of the mouths of several stone fish, flowing away from the centre and under each passage. Luscious tropical plants and ferns were potted around the perimeter and in the halls. Squall pointed in front of him.

"This is the lobby," he said lamely. "Not much of one. It's just an open area with benches on the sides. Nothing fancy."

"Hey, the SeeD symbol!"

Squall looked above the lobby walkway where the girl was pointing. A stretched ying-yang was crowned by a spiked disk over four blue arrows.

"Yeah, it's backwards."

Everyone had always laughed at the fact that it was inverted. While the true symbol showed black pointing up and white pointing down, this one was reversed. Set in place since the beginning of Garden, nobody had ever bothered to correct it. He steered the conversation back to the tour, intent on leaving as soon as possible.

"So that," he pointed at a glowing tablet in the middle, "is the directory." They walked over to it. "This screen shows any important messages for the staff and students. You have to make it a habit to check, because sometimes useful things come up." They walked over to look at the other side.

"This shows a map of the first floor." He considered leaving it there, but the girl looked at him expectantly, so he continued. "Basically, all the hallways are colour coded so you know where you are. On the left is side A, and on the right, side B. Starting from the top are the dormitories. I'm sure you've been there. They take up the whole north block and house students, staff, and SeeDs. Once you're a SeeD, you get your own dorm, but as a cadet you have to share with at least one other person." The girl nodded.

"Then, first on side B is the parking lot. It's… just a parking lot. It connects to Balamb Town with a ramp leading to the main road."

"Ok."

"Then we have the training centre. This is the only facility open after curfew. There are real monsters in there, so you have to be careful, or you might get killed and eaten."

The girl gulped. "Umm. Ok…"

"Next is the library. A lot of students study in there, but a lot of people are just there to hang out too. Usually if the librarian is in, she'll kick them out. But she usually isn't there. So they usually aren't kicked out. You can find a lot of textbooks and just general interest titles."

"That's great! I love books!"

"Then it's the lobby, as I've explained, which leads to the main gate you must have come through. The next wing is the infirmary. The head doctor's name is Kadowaki. You can go there if you're injured or if you have any healthcare concerns. She also sells potions. You can get a free package since you're new here. Just talk to her."

"Oh, perfect! I forgot to pack mine, so I don't have any."

"The doctor also teaches a small group of students who want to become medics. It takes a lot of special training and studying, and it isn't available at either of the other Gardens. Is that why you're here?"

"No. I transferred for the SeeD exam. Trabia doesn't have enough qualified instructors, or the cash, to hold field exams." She rolled her eyes at the mention of money. "It's mostly a research base. All candidates come here for that."

"Oh. So next is the quad. A lot of students stay out there in their free time when the weather is nice. There's a stage there, and that's where a special event is held every year."

"I know! I know!" the girl piped out. "It's the Garden Festival! It's going to be great! I'm planning on replacing the old organizer. He's graduating this year, and I've had tons of experience back at Trabia with this kind of stuff. Wanna join?"

"Let's just move on," said Squall quickly. "The last wing is the cafeteria. Actually, that's where I'm going right now. The hot dogs are famous here; you have to be really fast to get to them. Usually, they run out in ten minutes flat."

"Tee-hee! Thanks! I'll keep that in mind. I should probably go and get ready for the exam now. See you around!" She waved at him and headed toward side B. Squall walked the opposite way to the cafeteria.

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><p><strong>AN: **Those articles were so fun to write. I think I'll continue providing information like that, and the fact that FFVIII has so many magazines is really convenient. Anyways, this whole chapter was basically devoted to setting up the world. I hope it didn't get boring, especially with the Q and A article. You should also have noticed quite a bit of foreshadowing going on, which is a technique I absolutely love to use.


	3. Blue Fields

**A/N: **Thanks again for the reviews. Yes, one of the goals I'm trying to accomplish with this novelization is to make the game world realistic. I noticed while writing that many things were out of place and had no consequences. For example; why does _nobody_ seem to know or care that Dollet was attacked? Where the heck is the media? And why does Galbadia suffer nothing for raging violence in a civil world? I have done my best to answer these questions in later chapters.

I read that FFVIII was designed to be a really bright fantasy (which is indeed apparent when compared to FFVII), but the events that occur are nowhere near 'bright.' This led to a very indifferent world with the problem that nobody really cared what was happening. I actually never realized while I was playing, but you know that tragedy that happens to a party member at the end of disc 2? Yeah, well Squall is the only soul on the planet to care. The others maintain a cheery sense of adventure. "It's like a picnic! We're gonna have fun!" (Quoted from a certain bubbly character at the Great Salt Lake.)

I've decided that my version is going to involve a lot more political and media attention, and it certainly won't be as bright as the game. Furthermore, the world will be much more dynamic in its response to what happens.

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><p>Fifteen minutes later, Squall was making his way back to the lobby with a full stomach. He walked through the reception hall, scanning his card on the sensor. It beeped, and he pushed one of the turnstile gates open.<p>

"Oh 'ey, Squall." It was the receptionist, Rafael. As usual, the old man was playing Triple Triad on the small computer terminal dedicated for recording visitor information. "You finally goin' for the field test, are ya?" Squall nodded. "Ah, well good luck! Who's yer support?"

"Instructor Trepe."

"A'right. I'll record that down."

Squall continued on his way, scaling a small flight of steps and speculating how hard the prerequisite could be. He had heard from many others that the task was to retrieve an item from the end of a cave and make it out alive before the end of a strict time limit. Squall had never been inside it and wished he knew what kind of creatures lurked within. Garden discouraged students from studying real monsters, under the belief that they should train themselves to take precautions when unfamiliar with enemies. Squall agreed, though found it very annoying to repeatedly cast Scan magic on foreign beasts. His mind wandered back to when he was fifteen; during a practical lesson, Instructor Dean had taught them how to use Scan on each other. He made them fill out a worksheet with the descriptions of at least five other students the Scan magic provided them with. Everyone was laughing at the different biographies. Squall remembered his: _Uses a sword called a gunblade. Special skill is Renzokuken. Silent, and a bit cold. _Of all the students, his was the shortest and most candid. Even the instructor had chuckled as he asked him to read his aloud.

The front gate was in sight now, but Squall didn't continue to follow the walkway. Instead, he veered off to the right. The linear, low wall framing the wide path was spaced with alcoves. Though these ornamental indentations were common along the pavement, all were occupied by a potted plant. This one was empty, or so it seemed. Squall reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, amber coloured rock. His sharp blue eyes focused on it, concentrating. It started to glow, making Squall's skin prickle through his leather gloves. His hair stood on end as the Dynamo Stone sparked a dramatic shade of yellow. Soon it was a glowing ball of energy. It sank into his skin, crackling with life. He felt it move up his arm, through his shoulder, and into the back of his head. Quetzalcoatl's life stream infused with his body; he could hear the Thunderbird's wail loud in his ears as his heart beat intensely and he began to take rapid, shallow breaths.

A sudden calm doused over him, silencing his shaking body and relaxing his tensed muscles. He blinked, and where there was nothing before, a fountain of light floated slightly above the ground. Dancing ribbons of purple surrounded a yellow core, curiously immobile. This was a Draw Point; a tiny field of magic. Squall held out his hand and Drew the streaks of light into him. He stored the energy in his mind, where Quetzalcoatl gladly accepted.

He left the Draw Point to regain its strength, and continued past the main gate.

Instructor Trepe was waiting for him, staring at the slithering road protruding from the parking lot ramp. She was in her usual battle uniform, which Squall always questioned for its practicality. Her red-orange vest looked like it was strangling her torso, and her matching pencil skirt prevented her from taking a step wider than a meter; the black jeans she wore below didn't help either. Squall had to give her credit for the brown arm warmers though. They acted like durable sleeves for warmth and skin protection but didn't prohibit arm movement at all; a smart choice seeing as she handled a whip. She had chosen to omit her glasses for contacts.

Instructor Trepe turned her head at the sound of Squall's work boots. "Ready to go?" Squall nodded. "Alright. I have to explain a few things to you before we leave. Obviously, make sure you Draw a lot of energy from any monsters roaming about that we encounter. You'll probably need it for the exam. And make sure you actually junction it. Several students tend to forget to."

Squall had heard enough. "…Are you done yet? I know this already," he said with his arms folded.

"It's standard procedure, sorry. But… I guess we can skip over that. And now, for the part you've always been waiting for: we get to go over how you use your weapon!"

Squall put his hand over his face. "You have got to be kidding me. I'm seventeen, not seven."

Instructor Trepe laughed. "I'm kidding! But I need to check it to make sure it's in good condition. Let's see that gunblade, then."

Squall handed it over.

"Hm, standard model Revolver?" Her eyes scanned every aspect of the blade, holding it up to the light, and viewing the holster from several angles.

"Yes."

"No augments? No adjustments?"

"No."

Instructor Trepe swung the blade into the ground and squeezed the trigger. There was a small explosion as Revolver shred through the grass, leaving a wide, jagged fissure. "The vibration feature seems pretty good." She tilted the sword up and the bullet shell locked back into the barrel. "Okay, I'll assume you haven't mysteriously forgotten how to use it. Part two is a lot more interesting. I have to evaluate your GF. You have Ramuh?"

"No, I have Quetzalcoatl."

"Oh, well at least I got the element right. Ramuh was the Lightning Summon given the year either before or after yours, I forget. Anyways, you've learned how to use your GF, but you haven't learned how to train it." Squall was silent as she continued. "As you acquaint yourself with your GF, you'll learn more and more about what it is capable of doing, as well as what you are capable of teaching it to do. By Summoning it in battle, it will gradually learn to perform new tasks by absorbing power from enemies. As the GF and owner become more familiar, the effectiveness of junctioning intensifies. Once you are a SeeD, you will learn much more about this. In the meantime, I suggest you just focus on what you already know your GF knows. I believe Quetzalcoatl has the power to increase your magic casting. So junction any energies you've stocked to it."

…_So why bother telling me now if I can't do anything? _Squall obliged anyway. He felt for the power he had recently obtained from the Draw Point and called upon Quetzalcoatl, who embedded it back into his brain. It did almost nothing, but would have to do for now.

"Quetzalcoatl also has the ability to cast Thunder magic and manipulate electromagnetic fields. And as with all Garden Summons, he can cast Scan. That's all." Instructor Trepe started to walk across the road, but stopped after a few steps. "Oh, I completely forgot. Your task is to retrieve a Bomb Core from the inner chamber of the Fire Cavern." Squall had no idea what a Bomb Core was, but he didn't question the instructions. "More information will be given once you reach the mission start. My job is to support you in battle. Everything else is up to you. You will be marked on one criterion which will appear on your SeeD report if you pass both exams. Just do your best."

From this, Squall gathered that his combat skills were not being assessed, which intrigued him. "Fine," he replied as they crossed the road together. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me where the cavern is?"

"Nope." Squall shot her a look of annoyance, which she replied to with a smile. "But I can tell you it's in the mountains."

"The Gaulg mountain range is huge!"

"Oh alright, it's north east from here. I'm not saying any more."

They walked along the edge of the road under the cloudless blue sky, straying off as it disappeared into the ramp. A deep gong sounded in the Garden, signalling the tenth hour and drawing Squall's attention. Though he did not a care for architecture, he could not help but appreciate the school's design. The light blue layers of each level sat on top of each other, arranged as a segmented cone. Abstract tribal embellishments accented the school in silver and pink. On top of the building floated a huge, crown-like halo. A ring of neon blue light surrounded the disk's exterior, pulsing pleasantly every now and then. White cables latched around the edge ran down to the ground, as though preventing the crown from floating away into the sky. Squall knew the other two Gardens also had a halo, though he wasn't sure what they were for. Maybe they were just pretty. But then again, who cared?

"Hurry up, Squall. It's not like you've never seen the school before." Instructor Trepe had walked ten metres ahead of him before she noticed he wasn't moving. "And stay alert. You never know when something might ambush you." They continued walking through the tall, grassy fields in silence for five minutes, Squall leading. He had a very strong feeling Instructor Trepe's eyes were focused on him.

"Hold on," said Squall. He stopped moving and squinted at the ground. Bands of bright blue were visible between the blades of billowing grass. "I think there's a Bite Bug there," he said, pointing.

"Well then, let's find out." As sapphire lights swirled around his teacher and the ground beneath her glowed pale green, she brought both hands up around her body in a sweeping motion, ending by pushing her palms outward. "Scan." In her vision, a circular target appeared. It focused on a patch of grass. It zoomed in further, and the target expanded and began to rotate. Her surroundings faded, and she was left with an image of a giant blue insect nestling on the ground. Text began to type itself out on the heads-up display.

_Bite Bug_

_A bug monster that flies. Stay calm and attack precisely. It's not a very strong enemy. The needle is venomous._

Quistis allowed her mind to relax and the image faded. "Yes, it's a Bite Bug. Can you take it?"

"Obviously." Squall held out his sword, one hand close to the tip, the other at the hilt, creating a t-shape. His mind reached out and grabbed at the insect. Aquamarine orbs were sucked out of its body and into his, leaving gleaming purple trails in the air and alerting the Bite Bug, which took flight at once. As Squall stored his Drawn Pyreflies with Quetzalcoatl, a disproportionately large, sharp-toothed mouth snapped viciously, dragging along the rest of its body. The Bite Bug's tiny amber eyes darted around quickly before locking on Squall. For a moment it hovered gracefully, two pairs of delicate dragonfly wings steadying it, and then it charged, opening its mouth wide. Through field excursions, Squall had learned there was a very specific time frame in which he could attack. It would be foolish to charge when its mouth was attempting to bite his hand off, so he rolled out of the way as it came. Its jaws snapped shut on thin air, and it hesitated for a moment, unsure of what had just happened. Still crouching on the ground, Squall spun around, sweeping his blade in an arc. He managed to chip off a bit of a wing, leaving the Bug floating haphazardly. As it struggled to stay upright, Squall cut downward, missing and hitting the grass. The insect charged again, but its unsteady flight led it crumpling into the ground. Squall stabbed it, and at once six feeble legs stopped twitching.

"Good one!" His instructor was standing there in a ready position, her Chain Whip uncoiled. "But I think you woke its friends." Three more Bugs had taken flight, circling them cautiously. Quistis snapped her whip, the diamondback razor at the tail glinting lethally. Once again, Squall Drew some energy out of the closest, taking advantage of the time he had before they would attack. As an insect flew dangerously close to Quistis, she flicked her wrist. The chains encircled its jaws, binding them shut and restraining the Bite Bug. Squall took the opportunity to slice it in half.

"Wonderful precision!" Instructor Trepe attempted the same trick with another Bug, but it managed to escape, tumbling awkwardly out of the chains. The Revolver severed it. The last insect flew out of range, bobbing up and down, waiting for them to strike. Rather than run ahead to attack, Squall chose to stay back, Drawing more energy. Still, the creature stayed where it was, so Squall decided to test out his casting power.

He reached into his mind where Quetzalcoatl lay dormant. His right hand drew back with his sword. "Thunder," he said in a strong voice. As azure sparks danced around him, he closed his eyes and put his left hand up to his face, feeling as the power flowed into it. Finally, he turned his palm to face the Bite Bug and a bolt of lightning struck down, crackling through the air as the insect's wings melted. It fell pitifully into the ground.

Instructor Trepe ran forwards to the charred remains. Squall followed. Reaching out a gloved hand, she grabbed the blackened stinger and pulled. It disintegrated, leaving a single black pebble. "Excellent casting!" she praised, picking it up. "You see this? It's now an M-piece stone. Your Thunder spell was hot enough to transmute it."

_Oh, boy. _Squall bet she was going to launch into another mini-tutorial of no relevance to him.

"These stones can be refined into pure energy if your GF knows how. You can also embed them into certain weapons, making them stronger."

There it was. The "if" clause. "…_if_ your GF knows how." Which meant he couldn't, and she wasn't going to teach him until he became a SeeD.

Instructor Trepe gripped the stone tightly and closed her eyes. Through the gaps between her fingers, Squall saw it glow bright blue. Slowly, it was absorbed into her body. "There. Oh, you should rejunction yourself with the energy you just Drew." Squall obliged, feeling slightly clearer headed as he did so.

"Let's keep going."

They walked in silence again, the awkward tension rising. Instructor Trepe decided to break it. "So, Squall. You have a general knowledge quiz coming up in SeeD Prep tomorrow. Want me to help you review?" He didn't respond so she continued. "Let's start simple. What is the name of the scientist –?"

–_That discovered GFs, created the Junction System, studied sorceresses; you name it, he did it. _"Odine," he interrupted. She could not possibly have picked an easier question.

"Good! Okay, which country mysteriously disappeared after the Sorceress War?"

"…Esthar." Squall attempted to drift further and further away from his instructor, but she followed, almost literally, on his heels.

"Correct! Um, let's see…"

They came to a temperate forest, its large, broadleaf trees shooting into the sky. Squall stopped walking, unsure of what to do, causing his teacher to bump into him. He turned to her. "Can we go through?"

"You can either go through or around. If you follow the path in the forest, you'll get there much faster, but the monsters roaming around tend to be a little more –"

"Whatever," Squall cut across her. He made a beeline for what looked like an opening. As soon as they entered, the atmosphere changed. The tall deciduous trees blocked out most of the light and held in the moisture. The lazy buzzing noise surrounding Alcauld Plains vanished, to be replaced with bird chirps. The grass became dirt, littered with leaf matter, and the tiny wild flowers of the fields were now large, vibrant orchids. Their soft, floral perfumes mixed with the earthy mulch; a concoction of pure nature. Squall and Quistis followed a faint trail deeper through.

"How many spells have been standardized by Garden for use by SeeDs?"

"Fourteen."

"Incorrect." Squall turned to her, surprised. She smiled. "Garden's approved GFs, when all junctioned to the same user and at a high compatibility, should theoretically allow him or her to cast around forty different spells. Fifty-three have been officially designated by the International Para-Magic Committee as of this year. You're thinking of the number undergraduate students are allowed to use. We also know of the existence of another fifteen spells, but we haven't found any GFs capable of producing them. Of course, most people who discover a GF aren't likely to give up its token for study…"

"How do we know the spells exist, if nothing can replicate them?"

"I'm sure that was mentioned in one of your textbooks. GFs are capable of everything their creators were. Thousands of years ago when sorceresses didn't have to keep their powers hidden, humans saw them cast several hundred different spells. Many of them were mentioned in stories. We know it was customary for all witches to keep around at least one GF, and from what we understand, GFs can never physically die. So there must be some out there capable of casting these spells. We just don't know about them yet. When Odine was working with Fieara Pilgrii, the sorceress who greatly helped with his research, he asked her to produce a GF just to prove his theories."

Again, they walked for a bit in silence, continuing along the lightly treaded path.

"Okay, next question. This one is going to be hard. What is written under the Garden Code, article eight, line seven?" This question was so unfair Squall didn't even bother to guess. Instead, he stared at the old beech ahead.

"What is that, on the tree?"

"Hm? Oh. I'm not sure." Instructor Trepe walked closer and inspected the thick white threads clinging onto the rough bark. Gingerly, she touched them. The material stuck to her finger and stretched back as she pulled away. "I think it's spider silk. Better be careful."

Squall walked forwards a few steps into a clearing, and then stopped. He had heard something rustling in the undergrowth. He unsheathed his sword, the metallic grinding noise absorbed by trees around him. Instructor Trepe had her whip ready too.

"Rraaaahh!" The crude, raspy call startled them both as a giant caterpillar came slithering out of a clump of trees. Its skin was camouflaged in green, accented by blue rings and a pink stripe running down its belly. Or maybe that counted as its back. Squall couldn't tell, nor could he say which end was technically the front. The caterpillar's body was twisted at the centre leaving its head upright and half of its feet wiggling uselessly with it. The other half rested on the ground, somehow managing to move it around. Two eyes affixed to tentacles stuck out at the top like a snail's, and a giant mouth with tiny saw-like teeth took up most of its face. Like the Bite Bugs, the beast had a sharp stinger at what Squall decided was really the back. Before it could do anything, Squall scanned it.

_Caterchipillar_

_A large, mutated caterpillar. Prefers meat over vegetables. Uses an attack called Ultra Waves that damages all enemies and inhibits judgment. When fully grown, becomes a Butcherfly._

"Squall!" Instructor Trepe's yell snapped his concentration. His vision returned to normal, and he was very thankful it did, for the monster had lifted its tail and was about to bash him with it. He held his sword up in an attempt to resist, but the blunt force was too strong. It knocked him away, and he fell to the ground. He heard a swishing noise and watched as Instructor Trepe spun her whip in the air twice before bringing it down hard at the Caterchipillar's body.

"Rraaah!" It convulsed in pain as the metal tore through its skin. Squall got up and backed away.

"Caterchipillars are great for energy," said his teacher as she struck it lightly. "Here, I'll distract it and let you Draw." Squall obliged and noticed he was able to steal much more energy from it than any of the Bite Bugs.

"Ergh!" A thick rope of webbing shot out of the tip of the Caterchipillar's tail. Instructor Trepe struggled against it as it stuck to her. Squall slashed its tail off, but the silk continued to pour out. By now, she was completely covered. He shot a Thunder spell at it, stopping the flow. The Caterchipillar twitched and then lay still, dead on the ground. "This is so disgusting," said Quistis, flailing around as she tore open a hole in her silk body suit. "Did you kill it?"

"Yes."

"Then let's get moving." She tried to step away from the cocoon, but the stretchy restraints stuck to her. "A little help, please?" Squall sliced through them easily.

"Actually, this might come in useful…" She grabbed a bit of the web and rolled in into a ball. With a rather repulsed expression, she attempted to stick it into her vest pocket.

Squall had no idea why or how it might come in useful, but he didn't really care. He turned and walked ahead but had only moved two steps when the Caterchipillar gave another cry. _Not dead yet? You will be soon._ He turned back and drew out his sword. As he ran toward it, it opened its mouth wide. The air suddenly thickened and Squall became dizzy. His ears started to ring and the ground vibrated violently. He lost sense of direction and balance. He remembered the Scan description; _This must be Ultra Waves. _And then the pain started. His ear drums felt as though they had burst, and his brain was overloaded. The sound waves were devastating. He dropped his weapon and slammed his hands over his ears, but it didn't work. To his right, Instructor Trepe had sunken to the ground and her mouth was open, crying out in pain. After what felt like an eternity, the noise died down and the ground stopped shaking. But at once Squall's face started to flush. It wasn't just his face; his whole body had turned a deep shade of red. His head was burning and he could actually see the heat waves rising around him, distorting his vision as they rippled by. His eyes locked on to the dying Caterchipillar and at once all thoughts left him. He was absolutely furious. He wanted to see that thing dead. Without even picking up his sword, he rushed up and began to pummel its body with his fists. He kicked and punched and bit; whatever he could do to punish the Caterchipillar. _You… deserve… to die!_

"Squall! What are you doing?" Instructor Trepe hurried to his side and attempted to pull him off, but he shook her away. She sighed and reached into her item belt where she pulled out a small diamond shaped vial with a bit of white liquid. She uncorked it and tossed it in the air at Squall, then backed away. It fell at his feet, and as the liquid poured out, it expanded many times into a glowing white circle. Light blue streaks rose up around him, and then it all evaporated, leaving glittering white trails in the air.

Squall felt the anger leave him. His body returned to its original colour and he stopped expelling heat. He walked over to his gunblade and picked it up. Instructor Trepe crossed her arms and smiled at him.

"Do you recognize what just happened?"

"Yes. I was Berserked."

"Correct. And if I hadn't used a Remedy on you, how long would your condition have lasted?"

"Until all present enemies have been dispatched." His answer came directly from his battle guide, and his teacher knew it. She laughed and opened her mouth to say something, but a high roar sounded from above. They both looked up. Towering twenty metres over them was a huge dinosaur-like reptile. Its skin was completely red and even though it was over fifty metres away, Squall thought he could feel the heat radiating from it. He didn't need his instructor's explanation to know what had happened.

"T-Rexaur! Looks like it was hit by Ultra Waves. Squall, we'd better run!" But Squall wasn't one to run from battles. He stood in a ready position with his sword. Quistis seized his arm and shot him a dead serious look. "Squall," she whispered with her teeth clenched, "when a fully grown T-Rexaur is Berserked and you have one SeeD member and a cadet in your battle party, you run." The reptile roared again; it had spotted them in the clearing. "NOW!"

_Whatever… _They sprinted up the dirt trail. The thunderous footfalls of their enemy and splintering wood of the trees started to sound closer, but neither was willing to look back. They came to a fork in the path, and Instructor Trepe veered left. Squall, who had been heading for the right, had to stop, double back, and change directions.

"I think it's… right behind!" said Quistis between breaths. She shot back a glance. "Squall!"

Squall turned his head and saw the inside of a giant mouth; two rows of teeth leered at him as the T-Rexaur prepared to take a bite. Without thinking, he dove to the side… and crashed into a tree. His back slammed into the bark and the wind was knocked out of him. At least he had avoided the reptile, which lost sight of him and rounded on Instructor Trepe. Squall limped out from behind the elm. He casted a Thunder spell on it, but the bolt of lightning that struck didn't hinder it for long.

He watched as Instructor Trepe drew out her whip, but knew it would do no good; its hide was way too thick. Apparently she knew so too, because instead of whipping the dinosaur, she lashed her weapon at its legs. The chains coiled around them and glowed blue. She heaved her whip back and with a disproportional force, the T-Rexaur was dragged forwards. It attempted to steady itself with its tail, but failed and fell tremendously, crushing a myriad of young trees. Squall retreated as a thick trunk swung his way. He kept his eyes on the dinosaur which flailed around in a futile attempt to get to its feet, destroying more of the forest.

"Come on, Squall!" He ran to her, and together they tore through the rest of the woods, exiting before it could find them again.

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><p><strong>AN:** Hmmm... Not too sure what to make of this chapter. I didn't like it much, but it wasn't so bad as to warrant a rewrite. I'll let you be the judges. Tell me what you think!


	4. Don't Be Afraid

**A/N: **Thanks, rach981 for the comment. I love hearing whatever you guys have to say, it's such a great motivator. I'm quite flattered you think my writing is that great. All I can tell you is to never think you won't be able to write as well as someone else (I'm definitely not a hypocrite, by the way, and that definitely wasn't a cheesy line). Just practice, practice, practice! I'm not new to writing; I've been experimenting for about a year and a half on my blog. It's always easier with friends, which is why I practised on a group blog. Plus, you earn feedback and you feel like you can't let them down by stopping your posts. Again, I'd have to thank them for where my writing is today. And I thank _you_ all for reading and replying.

I'm quite excited to write the ballroom scene myself; it'll be my first time writing anything slightly romantic. I've also been dying to write the balcony scene/secret area portion ever since I started. I love Quistis. She's the deepest character, in my opinion.

* * *

><p>"Good. We're both here in one piece. Now let's go."<p>

Squall and Quistis walked up to the Fire Cavern entrance, where two Garden faculty members stood waiting, one on each side of the hole. _The Garden faculty… _Dressed in red tunics with white sleeves and a large flat hat, the men's faces were completely hidden from view. Squall often wondered how they were able to see around. The faculty was notorious at Balamb Garden for being more abrasive than steel wool. It represented the 'Garden Master', whom nobody had ever seen, and its members went out of their way to clash with the Headmaster and students. Even the instructors couldn't stand them. Perhaps that was why they hid their faces; anyone seeking revenge for unjustified punishments wouldn't be able to distinguish one from another. Squall approached wearily. He had never been in trouble with any of them before, though they annoyed him nevertheless.

An emotionless voice spoke from the right. "Fire Cavern Quest, supplementary exam number forty-six. Level: SeeD preparatory. Objective: to obtain a Bomb Core from the inner chamber of the Fire Cavern. A SeeD member must support. Are you ready?"

"Yes. Student ID number 41269, Squall Leonhart." He raised his right hand flat in front of the right edge of his face; the SeeD salute.

"I'm his support. Instructor 14, Quistis Trepe." She saluted too, though Squall doubted either supervisor could see past their feet.

"Very well. This is how the exam works. A timer will start once you enter the cave. To end the exam, you must stop it by exiting the cave or by overriding it in the inner chamber. To pass, you must have possession of the Bomb Core and you must stop the timer before it reaches zero. If you fail to retrieve the Bomb Core but you manage to exit before the timer runs out, you may choose to redo the exam with the clock reset, but you will lose marks. You may only do this once. Understood?"

"Yes."

"Select a time limit," said the faculty member on the left. "Choose one suited to your abilities. Ten, twenty, thirty, or forty minutes?"

Squall opened his mouth, then frowned. He closed it and shifted his confused glance to Instructor Trepe, who shrugged. He stared at the dark crevice between the sentinels. "But… I don't know how far the inner chamber is, or –"

"Guess, based on the objective," came his instructor's voice. Squall turned to her with an incredulous expression. "It's entirely possible for someone to finish in ten minutes. As a matter of fact, one candidate even managed to defeat the–"

"Ms. Trepe!" the man on the left called out harshly. She fell silent. "Mr. Leonhart, please select a time limit."

Instructor Trepe's outburst got Squall thinking. _There's something big in there? Someone managed to defeat it? Who could it be…? _And then the obvious answer came to him. _Seifer…_ Seifer was the only student Squall could think of. When it came to combat, Seifer was the first name out of everyone's mouth. So Seifer had selected ten minutes _and _had managed to defeat the Bomb Core guardian along the way. Squall knew he had no other choice. He would not come second to his rival. He would pick ten and finish in nine.

"Ten minutes." Behind him, Quistis laughed softly through her nose.

"Very well. Your time starts now_. Begin_." Squall rushed into the darkness, followed closely by his instructor.

Stepping in was as shocking to his senses as rolling into the tree. The warmth smothered him, clogging his throat like a giant cotton ball. It filled his nostrils with a deep burning stench and the heat waves blurred his vision. The only light came from the glowing rocks and magma; he wanted to wait for his eyes to adjust, but didn't want to lose time. Running ahead rather blindly, Squall heard his instructor's footsteps behind him.

"Again, my job is to support you in battle. Everything else is up to you."

"Fine," Squall answered, exactly as he had done before. He hurried onward a couple more steps.

"You know, the boys often choke on this test when I come with them. I guess my charm makes them nervous."

Squall was so exasperated he turned right around and glared at her, though all he could see was her frame, silhouetted against the bright entrance.

His instructor laughed. "I'm just kidding! Trying to keep you relaxed, that's all."

…_Whatever. _They continued down the narrow, winding path, surrounded by lava. Waves of heat rose up from the glowing liquid as it bubbled and frothed. Squall was sweating heavily, his hair starting to stick to his face. He wanted to take off his jacket, but he couldn't carry it in battle, and he certainly wasn't going to leave it on the ground.

A squeak resounded around the cave walls. Squall looked up at the large, winged creature descending to greet them. Six red, triangular wings rotated in opposite directions to keep it afloat. They were attached behind its devil's face, eyes alight with an evil desire. Squall drew his sword. He didn't bother to Scan it, nor did he want to move so he casted a Thunder spell. A bolt of lightning struck down from the ceiling at one of its wings, but it didn't do much. He tried again to no avail. The monster just floated there and smiled maliciously. Resigned, he ran headlong and swung at its face. It floated backwards as his blade came down, avoiding damage. He tried again, but missed. Frustrated, Squall was tempted to throw his sword at the creature, but even that much of an effort might have left him drained. The heat was getting unbearable. Squall just wanted to leave.

Instructor Trepe jumped in. She swished her whip in the air and lashed out, tearing a jagged cut across its face. The demon growled, its fan blades spinning faster. With surprising speed, it turned sideways and rushed at them, hurling vertically through the air like a disk saw. There was no room to manoeuvre, so Squall could only duck. He brought his sword to the ready as a bladed wing streaked treacherously close, timing his retort carefully. Right before it hit him, he sliced a sheet of leathery wing to the ground, severing it roughly from the body. The foul creature's flight became unsteady and Squall's progress motivated his movements. He charged and stabbed the face, feeling a vindictive pleasure as the soft pressure at the tip broke, plunging cleanly through. He flung the speared head away, watching as it parachuted through the air, falling softly into the magma, the wings hissing and melting.

"Excellent evade and counter. You've always had trouble with those. E&C's are difficult to master, but you're getting there."

Squall nodded for a lack of a better action. He continued along, starting to get anxious. _How long has it been?_

They reached a fork in the path. He could either head left, right, or straight ahead. Frustration bit at him and he had an urge to ask for Instructor Trepe's help again, but he knew she would refuse. Squall looked at her and then frowned. "Why aren't you sweating?"

She smiled mischievously. Avoiding the question, she chose instead to comment. "Look a bit further up each path." Squall glanced to his left and right and blushed, his face reddening further. The dead ends in both routes were clearly visible. Wiping the sweat off his brow, he continued along the one in front of him, cursing at his shallow foresight. Twenty metres ahead, he came to another junction with three paths. This time he could not see where any of them led. He squinted at the one on his right. There was something glowing purple in the distance. _A Draw Point. _The trail probably didn't go any further. So it was either straight ahead or to the left. He had an urge to follow the latter, but reverse-reverse-psychology forced him directly ahead again. For a whole minute, Squall didn't meet anything. He frowned and scanned the area every few steps, sweating from both the heat and nerves.

_Maybe right was the 'right' way. Or maybe I should have gone left. Then again, the Draw Point might have been there to guide me. Besides; who plans a maze where you always move straight ahead? Did I screw up? _But he had no more time to think, for as they reached the opening of an antechamber, a particularly large eruption of lava caught his attention.

A solid, flaming ball emerged out of the slowly flowing magma. It was about the size of a dinner plate, with two thin, stubby arms flailing at the sides. A wide, toothy grin was set over its face, and its permanently furious, yellow eyes glared at Squall as it bobbed up and down, floating lazily. He drew his sword and lunged, completely missing as it dodged to the side. There was no way Squall's lethargic movements would be able to touch the blazing creature, so he casted a Thunder spell. It shocked the fireball, which hit the ground, but bounced up again just as lively as before. Indeed, its momentum picked up as it expanded rapidly to the size of a nightstand. Squall frowned, trying to figure out what he should do. He scanned it.

_Bomb._

_A monster powered by fire. Usually calm, but still a dangerous fiend that becomes gigantic or explodes when provoked. After growing to the size of an ape, it will use Suicide, dealing massive damage to all in its range. Absorbs fire and very weak against ice. Generally unaffected by water._

The enlarged Bomb charged at him, and he rolled to the side, avoiding its body. Just then, a second Bomb leapt out of the magma. _Oh great. _Instructor Trepe stepped forward. "Leave them to me. Your attacks will only provoke them."

As usual, she swept her arms around her body and pushed her palms outward. "Blizzard," she murmured. A gust of white air shot at the larger Bomb, covering it in frost for a second. The ice layer steamed away, but the light radiating from its core had diminished greatly. Squall took to distracting the second Bomb while she finished off the first with another Blizzard spell, which fell to the ground as a smouldering pile of ashes. She did the same with the second, and it was dead before it had even expanded.

"We're almost there. And in record time, too. I guess I was right; you and Seifer are in a class of your own. You both have amazing potential."

Squall remained silent. He appreciated the compliment, but was annoyed Seifer had been included as well. Hopefully, by the end of his SeeD exam, he'd be considered a category of his own. As they exited the antechamber, they found themselves in a huge room. The ceiling was too high to make out, and the path widened into a platform floating on top of molten rock. The heat and light were noticeably stronger and seemed to be radiating from a central pit surrounded by jagged rocks. Squall guessed they were in the heart of one of the mountains. They crossed to the middle of the room, and he noticed a glowing blue glyph in the wall at the very back. A shining red gem lay suspiciously visible in front of the pit. _The Bomb Core?_

"This is it. Are you ready?" Instructor Trepe wasn't even pretending to be impartial anymore. He knew she expected him to challenge whatever came his way. He gestured lazily behind him, not turning to look at her. He wasn't particularly worried; the only pressure nagging at him came from Seifer's success. _If Seifer can do it, I can do it._

Instructor Trepe folded her arms. "You seem pretty confident. Take the Bomb Core."

Squall walked up to the red stone. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if there was anything last-second he could do to prepare. _Stop worrying and just take the damn thing._ Deciding he was indeed fully ready, he reached out a hand and grabbed the glittering mineral.

The ground began to shake the instant his glove touched the stone. He pocketed it and drew out his sword, holding his ground firmly in a battle stance. Instructor Trepe stood beside him, her whip uncoiled. They backed up slowly as a mass of small rocks began to shoot up from the fissure. It grew brighter and hotter, and with an explosion of lava almost blasting them off their feet, the beast appeared, somersaulting out and landing in front of the pair.

Standing three times taller than Squall, the demon's muscular, humanoid frame was covered with smooth brown skin. Patches of fiery red hair emblazoned his arms, legs, chin, and torso. A mullet ran down to his back alongside two giant, curved, black horns. He seemed to have a liking for jewellery; his long, pointed ears held two pairs of gold earrings and his wrists were encircled by matching bangles. From his neck hung a simple, white beaded necklace ending with a silver dog tag pendant. His narrow eyes glared down at the humans and he let out a great roar which echoed deafeningly around the main chamber. Squall noticed his pointy teeth, as sharp as his claws. He opened his mouth to speak, his voice growling deeply and causing the air to tremble.

**I AM IFRIT, THE GUARDIAN FORCE OF FIERY HELL. WHO DARES TO STEAL MY TOKEN OF ALLEGIANCE?**

So it wasn't just a monster hidden in the cave. It was an actual GF. He did not seem happy with the silence that answered his question. Rounding on the mortals, he spoke again.

**WAS IT YOU TWO? THEN PREPARE FOR IMMOLATION.**

An eruption of lava made Squall spin around to his left. A boulder flew out of the magma and soared towards him. It took a second before he realized he should be trying to move, and another to regain the feeling in his legs. He dropped to the ground and rolled away, narrowly avoiding the stone, which shattered against the platform. Several larger, brighter rocks had risen into the air in unison. Ifrit's hand had gone up with them, and as he brought it down, the boulders followed, commanded by their leader. Both of the humans had to jump out of the way as five rocks exploded into rubble in the centre of the walkway.

"Squall, be careful! Remember, fighting is optional!"

He nodded to acknowledge her, but definitely was not going to back out now. Waves of adrenaline and sweat flowed down his gleaming face, and he desired nothing more than an iced drink, but his goal was clear. He would not be beaten by Seifer. Running up, Squall drew his sword back, ready to strike at Ifrit's right leg. As a giant claw lashed down at him, he rolled to the side, dropping yet again as the other one swung through the air. He backed out of Ifrit's range, and then drove forward, aiming at the chest. Ifrit sidestepped the blow and kicked out with his foot. Squall had to duck so quickly he fell backwards onto the hot ground. Thrashing to avoid Ifrit's talons, he leveraged his sword to boost himself up, and then swung it in an arc, hoping to catch some part of the beast. Ifrit stepped back and jumped into the air, landing neatly in front of the chamber entrance. Hitting the GF with a sword was proving too difficult. Squall would have to rely on magic if he wanted to finish within the time limit.

Calling out to Quetzalcoatl, he summoned a bolt of energy from out of nowhere, piercing through the roof and flashing across the room. It hit Ifrit's horn, and he winced as the electricity was discharged through his body. The metal jewellery seemed to amplify its effect. Undeterred, Ifrit attempted to maul Quistis; brutally swinging both bulky arms, he forced her to duck and jump several times, dancing for her life. She struck out with her whip mid-jump, snapping at one of his long nails, and then took advantage of the recoil to strike again with twice the speed, chipping it off. She ended with another flourish, binding his wrists together, which Squall complimented with a slice to his defenseless torso.

Ifrit roared in pain and struggled against the chains. Instructor Trepe reared her weapon, turning the coils an icy shade of blue. With a tremendous tug, she lifted the handicapped Ifrit off the ground and threw him into a wall. The collision was great enough to shake the floors, but Ifrit recovered instantly.

**IMPUDENT HUMANS!**

The demon growled and pulled, forcing his wrists out of the binding metal. He shot up to the ceiling, flipping into darkness. Everything became still. Squall's eyes darted rapidly, his head whipping around at every hint of noise. And then with the speed of a meteor, Ifrit's somersaulting figure crashed down onto Quistis, black talons first.

"Instructor!"

Ifrit's assault was dead on. He had clawed through her body and landed deftly behind her. Squall rushed over to his bleeding teacher, who was staggering back up. Reaching into his item belt, his clammy, gloved fingers skimmed over the sharp edges of a Remedy vial and the rounded bottom of an ampoule of Eye Drops before finally gripping the circular base of a Potion. In one swift motion, he uncorked it and threw it into the air, rolling away promptly as Ifrit's claws struck down onto the rock where he had stood moments before. The contents of the Potion splashed across the ground and vaporized in a gleaming trail of azure light, spiralling around Instructor Trepe and fading. Her strength returned immediately; the traumatizing grazes and open wounds sealed themselves up, leaving only hints of previous reality. The deft instructor stood upright with her knees bent and whip ready.

As Ifrit charged again, Instructor Trepe performed her signature arm sweep, whispered a word, and sent a blast of frigid air at him. Ice crystals formed and expanded all over Ifrit's body, and he howled in pain. Squall could hear the icy wind shrieking as it flew by, almost freezing the sweat on his skin. He advanced and struck Ifrit's leg, his strength rejuvenated by the cooled air. The Guardian recoiled.

**HM. NOT BAD FOR A HUMAN.**

A shaken Ifrit limped recessively, bringing his right hand back. Red flames burst into life near his palm, forming a sphere. He threw the pulsating Flare Star at Squall, who misjudged the fireball's path and dove straight into it. Agony spread through his skin as the flames licked away at his face. The leather of his jacket was suddenly scorching, and he doubled over in pain, dropping his sword. Behind him, he heard Instructor Trepe's whip swing through the air. It snapped savagely at the snarling beast's skin.

"Squall! Move out of the way!"

Squall bent down and scrambled to retrieve his weapon, wincing with every move. There was a metallic exploding noise, and another magical gust of freezing air hit him, but it didn't sound like a Blizzard spell. Squall turned around.

In the centre of the chamber where his instructor had been standing, a rough, blue sheet of ice covered the ground, born from the burst of light. A giant icicle shot up from the core. In the middle stood a frozen figure, her arms crossed over her chest. Her pale blue skin glowed inside the frozen cocoon, highlighted by the yellow fringes of her hair. Long, thick locks of turquoise hung down to her waist, each one twisted and bound together at the ends with golden discs. Her beautiful face bore a peacefully blank expression, as though she was meditating. For a split second everything was quiet except the bubbling of the magma. Then the woman opened her eyes.

The maiden shattered the ice prison, a cold glare etched on her face. Her calm fury was matched only by Ifrit's stifled fear.

**TH-THEY HAVE SHIVA!**

Shiva ignored his comment. She raised her hand above her head, and then plunged it down in a slicing motion. A massive chunk of ice fell from the darkness straight at Ifrit. He leapt out of the way of her Heavenly Strike, landing on one of the jagged peaks surrounding his pit. He hurled a fireball at her, but she held up her hand. A blast of air solidified it instantly. The frozen flames dropped to the ground and smashed into pieces as Shiva took a few steps forward. Again, Ifrit threw a Flare Star, but it too, shattered at her will. He roared and raised both hands, causing a surge of flaming boulders to soar out of the magma, targeting his enemy. Shiva twisted and spun like a ballerina, sending out a shockwave of frosty winter air. The rocks stopped in their tracks, suspended unnaturally. She held out a tenacious hand, and with a sharp snap of the fingers, the orbs hanging in limbo exploded. Fragments of crystal rained down into the magma, hissing as they vaporized.

A particularly large boulder flew out behind Squall and he realized it was going to smash into him. He made to jump out of the way, but it was too late. He braced himself for the impact shutting his eyes and shielding his face with an arm. But the boulder seemed to miss; it disintegrated all around his body as it hit the ground, yet he was left unscathed. Opening his eyes, he realized he was almost completely transparent. He could only just make out the outline of his arm. Another shattering of ice reminded him of the storm brewing in his wake.

Shiva had conjured another block of ice from the ceiling. Ifrit bounded away again, but wasn't as lucky this time. The frozen slab hit him in the back mid-jump, causing him to stumble forward as his feet met the ground. That was all the time Shiva needed to launch an offensive. She half-ran, half-glided over to him, raising a slender leg. Holding it up, she performed a pirouette before landing a solid crescent kick on his chest, sending him blundering back. Following with a punch to his face, she leapt away. A glowing blue ball formed in her raised hands. It grew brighter and larger as she waited, daring Ifrit to approach. He roared and began to charge his own crimson sphere, mimicking Shiva's pose.

Brighter and brighter the two orbs glowed, distorting the light around them like black holes. They stole the energy from their surroundings, burning intense shades of red and white. Ifrit was the first to release. He slammed his miniature sun into the ground straight below, glowering at Shiva. The floor began to tremble. The walls began to shake. The whole cavern shuddered as massive burning meteors shot through the magma into the air.

Ifrit reared with his head held high and back straight, crossing his arms resolutely. The ground beneath him cracked and exploded as a flaming asteroid the size of a small house slowly forced its way through. Ifrit stood magnificently as he rose into the air, glaring down over folded arms at the blue woman below. Shiva's cold eyes challenged his stare with a look of determination. She held her charge ready.

As his platform came to a stop, Ifrit jumped into the air. He arched his body back until his shoulders were aligned with his legs, stretching his smooth stomach muscles taut. He raised both hands above his head, almost touching his feet. Curling one hand into a fist, he wrapped the other around it. And then, like a giant catapult, his body reflexed and he slammed his dual fist into the massive boulder. The astral slab shot towards the ground, Hellfire bent on destruction. Shiva waited half a second and then let go of her Diamond Dust.

There was a tremendous explosion of light as the frigid white core met the simmering rock. Squall shielded his eyes, wincing from the intensity. As his vision returned, he took a look around and his jaw dropped. What had just been a cavern full of fire now looked like an ice montage. Thick layers of frozen water covered every surface, preserving them perfectly. The only sound came from the churning magma below; the only movement from the ice maiden, who lowered her hands slowly.

The frozen comet inches away from the top of her head, Shiva stood indifferently as always. Ifrit's crystalized figure floated eerily in the middle of nowhere, twenty metres above the ground. His limbs were still positioned like a diver's, awkwardly splayed through the air. It was as though Shiva had frozen time itself. The sounds and sights of the battle had been wiped clean, encased in ice.

Shiva held out her hand, and gave a solid snap of the fingers. The echo was drowned out as the cave walls came crashing down. It was as though several tons of explosives had just gone off. The glazed walls burst. The chilled floor burst. The coated boulders burst. All of the ice shattered into a billion shards, flying up in the air. They rained down unanimously along with Ifrit who thudded heavily into the ground.

Shiva faded away, and Instructor Trepe reappeared in her place. Squall noticed his body was back to normal, and gripped his sword tightly.

"Squall, finish him now!"

He obliged. Running across the chamber, he drew both hands back. As Ifrit struggled into a standing position, Squall plunged the tip into Ifrit's chest, feeling the slight pressure ease as the blade pierced through his hide. Ifrit roared excruciatingly, louder than ever before. He struggled violently, almost throwing off the cadet's grip. Squall fingered the trigger, wondering whether he should pull it, but then Ifrit was still, drained of life.

"That's enough." Quistis had run up behind him.

Squall placed his foot on Ifrit's body, pulling to extract his blade. The blood running down it ignited the moment it contacted the air, causing his sword to burn like a torch.

**UGH, I UNDERESTIMATED SHIVA.**

Ifrit looked at Squall, then at Instructor Trepe.

**FOR ME TO LOSE TO HUMANS… VERY WELL, I WILL JOIN YOU.**

Using the very last of his strength, Ifrit flipped into the air with surprising force. He landed on a rock at the very back, and pressed his hand onto the blue glyph Squall had noticed earlier. It flickered and turned green.

"You did it!" Squall turned to a beaming instructor. "You finished within the time limit. Congratulations!"

They watched as the glyph expanded into the air, numbers flashing onto it.

**0:08**

"Eight seconds later and you would have failed. Outstanding judgement." Instructor Trepe put a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, let's go back, then. Oh, right. You have to collect your prize." Squall watched for a moment as Ifrit pushed himself away from the wall he had been leaning on. He limped forward a step, and then jumped half the chamber, vanishing into the hole from which he had arisen. He reappeared a few seconds later, holding a curved, black tooth.

**THIS IS AN INFERNO FANG. YOU KNOW HOW TO USE IT, I PRESUME?**

Squall nodded. "Yes."

**VERY WELL, THEN.**

Ifrit gave it to him, still bleeding liquid fire, then walked back to his pit and dived in.

"So, you've gotten yourself a new GF. Unfortunately, you won't be able to equip him now. I'll have to take that from you so I can get him registered under your ID. Garden policy, as you know."

Rather reluctantly, Squall put the fang into Instructor Trepe's outstretched hand. Together they exited the alcove, returning to the main path. Squall noticed the heat hit him again, and his exhausted body almost collapsed under the weight of it. He retrieved another Potion from his item belt, unstoppering it with his teeth. Drinking greedily, Squall ignored the bitter, fermented taste. As he gulped the blue fluid, his burns slowly faded away. The blisters shrank and melded together, and his half-cooked skin gave way to a new layer.

He looked over at Instructor Trepe, and noticed for the second time she still hadn't broken a sweat. Now he understood; she had been manipulating Shiva's powers to keep herself cool. Quistis took Squall's glance as an invitation to speak.

"You did really well. Nobody else has ever finished with such a close time. Most people either just plain fail, or they have around ten minutes left after selecting forty. Of course, most don't go for the Inferno Fang." She made it sound like a good thing, the fact that he had nearly run out of time. "I suppose I can tell you now, since you're the last one. This exam tested your judgement. You scored points based on how much time you had left. The closer you were to zero, the higher your mark would have been. A time under ten seconds will give you a perfect score, which you definitely received."

_Perfect score? Fine, but how did Seifer do? _Squall had an urge to ask, but knew even if she was being threatened with her life, she would never talk.

"Oh, and the time limit you picked was irrelevant. So you could have chosen forty minutes, ended with nine seconds, and still gotten perfect. And of course, defeating Ifrit will net you a big bonus. But don't let that go to your head. The final SeeD exam is extremely easy to fail. One wrong move and you'll be penalized heavily."

"…Since when did I ever let things go to my head?"

Instructor Trepe laughed. "True, but doesn't Seifer?"

Squall didn't reply. He knew she was right, but did not want to admit it, not even to himself. His instructor took the hint and steered the conversation away.

"You fought brilliantly back there."

"I barely did anything."

"You struck the finishing blow. And you started off well, though you probably should have Scanned him first. You had a good offence, trying both swordplay and magic. I usually would have recommended for you to be on the defensive side, but since you were timed, the way you fought was fine. You didn't panic when he got me, and you recovered me immediately. As a student, the most important rule during combat is that you follow standard models and procedures, which you did."

"But then you Summoned Shiva and it was basically over." The question burned in his mind, whether she didn't think he would have been capable of taking Ifrit on.

Instructor Trepe smiled at him. "Save your strength for later. You'll have countless opportunities to prove your strength during the final when it'll really count."

Disgruntled, Squall led the way past the intersection he had almost lost himself at.

"Oh, and for your information, Garden code article eight, line seven states 'In the event that returning to the assigned Garden is not possible, report to the nearest Garden.' You'd do well to remember that."

Squall raised an eyebrow at his instructor, then remembered the questions posed in the forest. "Thanks a lot," replied his cynical voice.

"No need. There was supposed to be a Red Bat swarm at this point, but since you've already finished, they won't have been told to come out."

Squall was glad of it, partly because he didn't think he could stand yet another fight in the sweltering heat.

"Oh! That reminds me. The Garden faculty is going to be so angry…" Instructor Trepe's voice shook with mirth. "The Fire Cavern Quest was designated the prerequisite three years ago. Nobody had perfected it, until this year. As a matter of fact, we've seen two of you do it, which means they have to switch the task now. Mark my words, the faculty members will do anything they can to try and fail you. Those slobs are so ego-centric, they think they can just walk around and get paid."

"Who else completed it?" Squall hoped he could catch his instructor off guard, deluding the answer out of her.

"That's none of your business." _Damn. _Instructor Trepe smiled at him in an annoyingly satisfied way. Squall knew she could tell he was thinking about Seifer. "Anyways, they make the tasks harder every time. They're rigged, so getting a perfect score is almost impossible. See; no winners, no need for a new exam. You know how unfair that was; a load of garbage about 'judgment'. In my year, all we had to do was go up into the mountains and find Shiva. Once we got there, she'd give a clue about where to find her token. Optional, but a requirement for a perfect score. I was the second to discover it."

A jet of magma sprung up out of the corner of Squall's eye and he reached instinctively for his sword. Instructor Trepe looked round, too. They quickly realized it was not a sinister movement and continued walking.

"So," Instructor Trepe continued, "they cancelled the Gaulg Mountain Search and created the Fire Cavern Quest. But I can tell you, they were absolutely furious. A fifteen year old girl mastering the pre-exam on her first try? Impossible. They tried to fail me by saying I lacked the combat skills necessary even though we weren't being marked on them. And when the headmaster wouldn't accept their excuse, they turned pretty ugly. They said I shouldn't have been allowed to participate, even in the absence of an age restriction, and demanded I redo the exam with a different task.

"I'm so grateful Cid is Headmaster. He fought for my right to pass, and they finally gave up. The exams had to be put on hold until they could come up with a new one. It took so long the semester ended before a new task was designated. Which means only about fifteen people in my year had been able to do the pre-testing. Out of those, six took part in the final practical, and Instructor Xu and I were the only ones to graduate that year. I heard the committee members were disciplined by the Garden Master for failing to have a backup. And that," she finished lightly, "is why the faculty hates me to this day."

By now, they had reached the cave mouth. Light streamed in from the meadows ahead, and Squall had to squint in the dazzling brightness. A welcoming gust of fresh air splashed over him as he stepped out, and he inhaled deeply. It was like diving into a pool on a hot summer's day. The wind soothed his skin, vaporizing the sweat clinging to his hair and filling his nostrils with the pleasant scent of grasses and flowers.

The two faculty members stood in the same positions Squall had left them in, their hats shading their faces from the sun. He often wondered whether they were really human, or some experimental robot species created by the Garden Master. They made no gesture to show they could see him, so he turned to face the one on the right and coughed loudly.

"Student 41269, Squall Leonhart," spoke the man. "Have you the Bomb Core?"

Squall had completely forgotten about it. He stood still for a moment, and then remembered it was in his pocket. Withdrawing it hastily, he held it out, though he doubted either of them could see his hand.

"Supplementary exam number forty-six, Fire Cavern Quest completion status for student 41269: failed."

"What?" Squall stared, wide-eyed, at his instructor. His heart sank and his body went numb.

"Request the exam break-down," Instructor Trepe responded casually, with an I-told-you-so kind of look.

Squall turned back to the stoic men and, still stunned from his predicament, asked to review his exam.

"The student chose a time limit of ten minutes. The party dispatched all enemies on the field, arriving in the inner chamber and obtaining the Bomb Core. They fought and defeated the Garden GF number 12, Ifrit. The timer was stopped at 0:06. The student received the Inferno Fang. The Red Bat swarm was bypassed. The party exited the cave. The exam was failed by reason of instructor interference."

"Excuse me?" Instructor Trepe glared at the guard, her stare almost penetrating through his hat.

"Ms. Trepe," said the man on the left. "The whole point of this exam was to evaluate the student's judgement. By interfering at the beginning, you altered the boy's choice of a time limit."

"How do you know he wasn't already planning to choose ten minutes? He's my best student. Naturally he wouldn't have gone with anything lower…"

"That is not for you to decide. The student has failed the exam."

"No, he hasn't," she muttered under her breath. "Very well. May we have the transcript, please?"

The man on the left produced a folded sheet of paper from inside his robes. He handed it to Instructor Trepe, who snatched it away. She turned around and stalked off. Squall followed, stunned and horrified. He didn't know what to think. How could he return to the Garden, knowing he had messed up? He could not blame his teacher; he knew she had done nothing wrong.

"Don't worry," Instructor Trepe began once out of earshot. "Cid will have this cleared up in no time. You definitely won't be failed." She unfolded the paper and glanced over it. "See? A perfect score, plus a bonus. _The Garden faculty_," she breathed vehemently. "When we get back, you are to prepare yourself for the final, got it?"

Squall nodded mechanically. They continued to speed walk, arriving back at the gate fifteen minutes later.

"Alright. I'll go straight to the Headmaster and hopefully this will be down before the exam starts. You remember where to meet, right?"

"Yes."

"And the time?"

"Yes," he responded, a little more forcefully this time.

"Good. You should probably get some rest. I have a lot of preparing to do. See you at 15:30." With that, she ran off along the path, leaving Squall to follow at a slower pace.

Rafael still had his eyes glued to the shabby monitor as Squall approached, a frown exposed on his elderly face. Only when he heard the gate click did the old man look up.

"Squall! 'Ow'd it go?" His serious expression had broken into a generous grin. "You give 'em monsters a good whoopin'?" He punched the air with his left hand.

"I might have failed," Squall said flatly, trying hard not to believe himself.

"Say _what_?" Rafael leapt up in shock. "Squall, the cream of the crop, failin'? Rubbish," he proclaimed, bashing a fist on the desk. "Yer jus' pullin' me leg, aren' ya?"

Squall shrugged. "That's what the Garden faculty said."

"Yeah, well the Garden faculty's made've a bunch o' meddlin' gits, ain' it? Wha' was their excuse?"

"They said I received too much help from my instructor."

"An' what'd she say?"

"…That they're a bunch of meddling gits, basically."

"Exactly. Don' listen to 'em. Instructor Trepe'll have it sorted out 'n no time." He turned back to his game, leaving Squall on his own.

_What if I do end up failing? _Squall imagined walking past the squadrons of future SeeDs lined up in the lobby, all clad in their uniforms, pumped for the exam. He envisioned himself prowling behind the potted plants, sulking as Headmaster Cid called the students to attention. And in the middle of the crowd, a blond head would turn to look at him. He could see him clearly, his haughty expression smirking madly, a delirious fire burning in his cruel, blue eyes.

_This had better work, Instructor._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Hm, I barely remember writing that fight scene. It went a lot better than the Seifer/Squall fight, but I still didn't find it very enjoyable.

Yes, this is where my story starts to derail a bit. It's the perfect example of what happens when the characters come alive. I was so into my writing, I had no idea that the plot was headed this way until it did. All I can tell you is that the characters took over and worked their magic. And no, this is not an AU novelization, so don't worry about what's happening. Treat it as an extension.


	5. Starting Up

**A/N: **You guys have no idea how high I get after reading your comments! Thanks so much. Yes, I do indeed like the Aeon system. GFs don't get nearly enough show time. They're way underrated. I'm going to change that.

As for the point about the Scan system, that's a really good suggestion. I can think up about a dozen ways in which it could work out like that, although they would require me to change quite a bit from that chapter onward, including Squall's flashback and another comical scene coming up. My idea was that the Scan spell is an artificial system created by Odine, regulated by the International Para-Magic Committee, who manually/automatically created those descriptions. So what the spell does when cast is expend energy from the user in order to make a connection to the Scan database and upload information. How does that sound? Also, I kind of thought it added a bit of an in-game touch to the battles, but if nobody likes it then I'll change it.

Miki-Death-Strike, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! I also felt that most characters weren't fleshed out, although that's a hard task for a video game. In particular, I'm worried about my Selphie. She seems a bit too shallow, but I'm working on deepening her.

* * *

><p>"Major Biggs!" the small soldier called out in his high pitched voice. The larger man was hunched over a toolkit. There was no response, so he tried again. "Major Biggs! How are the repairs going, sir?"<p>

"Quiet, Wedge!" Biggs replied in his rough tone, striking the steel rafters they stood on with his gun-arm. "Can't you tell I'm trying to work here? Let's see…" He seemed to be trying to find a wrench, lost for the fifth time. The circuit box he was fiddling with crackled with energy. It was attached to a large satellite dish, looming imposingly above. An arc of electricity jumped from a slithering cable to the generator on their left.

Wedge looked away, crossing his arms over the Galbadian insignia etched onto his breastplate. He adjusted his oversized helmet so it wouldn't block his vision and walked to the edge of the rafters. Fifty metres below, he could see the other men moving over the worn stone path, hauling supplies into the tower. He watched as two of them lifted a sheet of shining copper through the automatic sliding doors. A Thrustaevis flew out of the nearest tree and landed on a pole, flapping its dark blue wings menacingly. The beady yellow eyes sunken into its bald head were fixed on one of the red-clad soldiers, who waved the giant bird away. Its flight spiralled up to the top of the tower where it sank its razor talons into a steel beam.

Wedge looked over at Biggs. He was prodding wires haphazardly and randomly disconnecting pieces. He hoped his superior would be alright; he had already been electrocuted three times today. Biggs muttered something darkly and beat his fist against the frame in frustration. He clearly didn't seem to be in the mood to listen to a report. Wedge brushed the dirt off of his heavy blue cargo pants, stalling his errand. Being a messenger was boring and tiring; this wasn't what a lieutenant was supposed to do. His supervisor did not look like he was about to be finished anytime soon, so he braced himself and called out.

"Sir, there has been a report of a monster-shaped shadow on top of the tower." Again, he was ignored. "Major –" His call was cut off by a siren from below. The wail echoed off the metallic structure, only to bounce back from the rocky mountains.

"Excellent," grunted Biggs. "Lunch time. Wedge, guard the supplies for me, will you?"

"Yes, sir!" Wedge saluted and watched as Biggs stepped onto the lift, disappearing down below. He seated himself at the exposed ridge and saw an army vehicle pull up to the tower entrance. Blue uniformed soldiers and red commanders swarmed the dull green utility van. Wedge sighed at the sight of them.

"But what about _my_ lunch break?"

* * *

><p>Squall woke up resting at a very odd angle. His neck was cricked and his blankets were on the ground. His head spun and his muscles ached softly. He glanced groggily at his alarm clock.<p>

14:48

There was barely any space to manoeuvre in his room, with the twin sized bed taking up most of the area. Moving slowly, he propped himself against the wooden headboard, hidden by draped clothing, and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He stood up carefully and went over to the window, drawing aside the blinds and flooding the room with dazzling light. He closed his eyes to enjoy the afternoon air, though he received no welcoming breeze or sweet waft of flowers. The sun was a bit past its zenith, shining affectionately over the swaying lavenders potted along the school's perimeter.

As soon as he had gotten back, he'd showered and fallen asleep. He vaguely remembered what he had been dreaming about; he was standing under the veranda of an old stone building, looking up at the sky as it rained. He had an impression that he'd been much shorter in the dream; a small child. It left him feeling odd, as though he was meddling about in someone else's life.

Yawning widely, Squall began to dress himself in his casual wear. Halfway through pulling on his black jeans, he remembered he had a prospective exam to attend, or at least he would if Instructor Trepe worked her magic. He rolled his eyes and wrenched his pants off by the belt, though his heart quivered at the thought of the test. Reaching for the coat hanger over his window sill, he grabbed his second-hand cadet uniform and put it on. He rarely used the set, but the silver embellishments on the shoulders had turned grey, and the navy blue material looked rather powdered; it had been worn out by a graduated SeeD, the previous owner.

Leaning against the wall at the foot of his bed stood his black gunblade case, blazoned with a steel lion head.

_I wonder what the exam will be like. _Squall reached for it and laid it flat on the ground.

_It's definitely gonna be harder than the Fire Cavern Quest. _Releasing the two clasps, he opened the heavy lid and removed Revolver from the dense foam moulding.

_Last year's was kind of like a twisted scavenger hunt, wasn't it? _He pried out six bullet shells and loaded them into the chambers.

A rumbling came from Squall's stomach, and he realized he had not yet eaten lunch. He slipped on his black boots and left his dorm, noticing, for the second time that day the untouched luggage in front of the other bedroom. He had known another student would be moving in today, but none of the details. He had been annoyed, but knew if he passed the SeeD exam, he would be solitary again. Crossing the combined living and dining room in four strides, he absently tucked a mahogany stool under the shabby kitchen table, littered with textbooks and sheets of lined paper. He thought for a second about doing some last minute review and skimming through the pages of _Understanding Combat_, but decided against it.

Before he had even closed his front door, the intercom went off. Greeting with the usual musical tetrad, he heard Instructor Trepe's calm voice echo along the halls.

**Squall Leonhart; please report to the Headmaster's study.**

_Great. They've decided, then._ His hunger forgotten, Squall proceeded to the elevators, a fire igniting in the pit of his stomach.

The passages were deserted; everyone was still in class. _This is how it should always be. _His slow, heavy footfalls reverberated around the grand school, amplified by the silence. The chains of his double belt clinked quietly. Everything was waiting in anticipation. He made his way up the steps to the elevator platform, jabbing a little triangle button. The blue doors slid open promptly. Squall hesitated before he got on. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what fate would greet him at the top. _No use staying here._

The red number six was one of the only buttons whose paint hadn't worn away from hundreds of thousands of fingers pressing, punching, and scraping across the plastic. Squall prodded it and waited for the doors to close. As the elevator rose up, he couldn't help but replay his self-fabricated nightmare in his head.

Again, the image of students lining up in the lobby filled his mind. He was watching from behind the same potted plant, and as the Headmaster walked in and called everyone to attention, Seifer's face illuminated the whole scene as though shone on by a heavenly spotlight. His mental camera zoomed in on that magically scar-less, narcissistic visage, which stared right back on cue. It grinned that evil, disturbing, signature smile and winked. Headmaster Cid began to speak, his charming voice projecting through the crowd.

"Congratulations on passing the pre-requisite exams. Because you have all performed outstandingly well, and because you did not cheat by requesting instructor help, I've decided that each and every one of you deserves to become a SeeD right this instant!"

The people roared with excitement, jumping into the air and giving one another high-fives. They were filled with elation. They laughed and cheered and yelled and whooped.

"Hold it!" Seifer raised a hand and silence filled the hall. He continued in a mocking tone that made Squall's blood boil. "But where is the reputable one? The top apprentice? Where has Instructor Trepe's favourite student gone? Where in the world is Squall Leonhart?" Urgent, questioning whispers flew around the hall as students realized he wasn't with them.

Cid closed his eyes and looked down in shame. "Mr. Leonhart has failed his pretesting. He was disqualified because he could not complete the exam without extensive teacher interference. He is not a SeeD and will never become one. Isn't that right, Squall?" The Headmaster looked straight through the fern leaves at where he was standing. The potted plant dissolved and all heads turned to his hiding spot. The shock etched on the crowd's faces terrified him. Their repulsion and their disgust all made him feel out of place. He was to be shunned for eternity; treated as an outcast. He would live the rest of his life begging on the streets in rags, ignored by all but the strayest of stray animals. And Seifer knew it; he knew his rival's fate. The triumphant glee shining in his smile ripped Squall's world apart. The ground he stood on sank lower and lower and the people crowded around, morphing into horrid monsters, looking down upon him in his hellhole. Seifer pushed to the front, and with one last smirk, he covered the bottomless pit with a stone lid, forever plunging Squall into a world of darkness…

There was a bright _ding!_ as the elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open. Squall shook his head vigorously, clearing the torturous mental images. _Everything is going to be fine. Instructor Trepe said so. What's there to worry about? I'm not actually going to fail. Headmaster will make sure of it._

Squall stepped out onto a regal red carpet, his stomach heaving as though a fresh log had been thrown into the fire. Despite his nerves, he could not help but notice the splendid office reception room, decorated in warm colours and expensive hardwoods. A polished mahogany desk sat in one corner and frilly armchairs were placed around the perimeter. Paintings of meadows and forests framed in gold hung along the crimson walls. Squall walked up to one of the upholstered seats. He sat down on the edge, but quickly got up again; he was feeling too uneasy to sit still. Ahead, two double doors stood out boldly, embellished with gold trimming in the shape of goblets. The windows of blurred, satin glass showed no movement in the study, and Squall wasn't sure whether to proceed or wait outside. A minute passed by and nobody came to greet him so he placed his hand on the heavy bronze handle, gritted his teeth, and turned the lever.

The atmosphere of the office contrasted surprisingly with the reception. It was as though Squall had stepped onto a modernistic ship; sails hung from two large masts stationed to a railing at the back, yet the floors were of highly polished slate, reflecting sticks of pulsing, fluorescent candles grouped on two-tiered tables. The glass wall was so fine he could barely notice it between the room and the cerulean sky.

"Ah, Squall! There you are." Headmaster Cid peered at him over his reading glasses, his prominent chin badly shaven as usual. He was a squat and portly man, his red vest rounding over a rather protrusive stomach. His smooth brown hair was almost identical to Squall's own, only tamer and slightly shorter. He welcomed Squall with open arms, but the smile he gave didn't look genuine, nor did his eyes suggest he truly wanted Squall in the room.

Instructor Trepe stood beside the Headmaster with a tight expression; now back in her SeeD uniform, she was leaning against a huge table littered with papers and pens, keeping her arms folded and legs crossed. She didn't seem to want to look at Squall, which he took as a dangerous omen. His eyes flickered to the glowing lattice above the two staff members, desperately seeking to distract himself from their less than welcoming faces. Cid spoke again, adjusting the collar of his white dress shirt uncomfortably and shifting his green tie. His shining face was bent with emotion, though Squall could not tell what he was feeling.

"So, I'm sure you know why you're here. And I hope you don't take this personally, but our dear  
>friend –" he paused, gesturing to the nearby faculty member whom Squall had not even noticed, "– has decided that you should not be allowed to participate in the finals."<p>

That was it. The predicament was settled. His sentence had been carried out. As prepared as he thought he had been, those words were a serious blow. Seifer's merciless laughter rang out through his ears and the walls closed in upon him. His vision blurred as he stared at the ground, too shocked to move. He felt as though his spirit had left his body, floating higher and higher over the catastrophic scene. The Headmaster's distant voice called out to him, but the suave tone slipped through his mind. Nothing mattered anymore. He had failed his life. There was no point in continuing. The mental movie he had formed in the elevator now seemed a million times closer to his reality.

"Squall!" His instructor's cry finally managed to snap him out of his reverie. He slowly looked up at her, his movements robotic and his expression blank.

"Are you alright?" The Headmaster's concerned expression did nothing to help his mood. "I'm terribly sorry. We have been discussing the matter ever since Instructor Trepe returned, and we have dropped the issue of teacher intervention within the exam, but the Garden representative has argued quite reasonably that you completed the test past the set deadline."

"I keep telling you, Headmaster, there _is _no deadline," snapped Quistis.

"Ms. Trepe," Cid replied reassuringly. "I came across the deadline issue just yesterday while skimming through my copy of the resource guide. I'm quite sure it is there."

Instructor Trepe chose instead to address the cloaked man standing in the shadows. "It doesn't say anywhere in the guidebook that candidates must complete the pre-requisite before a certain time. I'm sure of it. As long as it's done before the final, the student has every right to participate."

"On the contrary, madam," replied the sly, aristocratic voice of the faceless man, "as your superior and I have told you already, the updated version of the SeeD Training Handbook clearly states on page fifty-two that all applicants must have been approved for the exam at least twelve hours before commencement, otherwise –"

"And as I've told _you _already," the instructor cut in, "no such line has been published. Find it for me."

"I do not have a copy at hand, Miss Trepe. I do not carry a set of guidelines around, waiting for hostile teenagers to ambush me with irrelevant complaints."

_He went there…_

"Oh, hostile teenager now, am I?" Instructor Trepe flared up dangerously, quivering with rage. Squall had a feeling she was inches away from freezing the man solid.

"Instructor, please," said the Headmaster, putting a hand on her gold trimmed shoulder. "Mr. Everson, do not question the capabilities of my teachers. They have been selected by the finest standards. As strongly as I feel that you are correct about the deadline, it would seem rather foolish not to cross-reference. Ms. Trepe is likely making a very reasonable argument. I have a copy of the book in my room. I'll go get it."

With that, he exited the room through a side door, leaving the three of them in the coldest, most awkward silence Squall had ever encountered. He stared in vain at the clouds, trying to imagine what the vaguely circular one resembled.

_It's a lump. Of something. Or maybe it's a boulder… Fine, it's a puddle. Whatever._

He was unimaginably thankful when the door opened again and Cid stepped out, holding a thick volume in his hand. He closed it silently behind him.

"I have just checked it. Mr. Everson is indeed correct. The deadline is set half a day – twelve hours – before the final exam." He gave Squall an apologetic glance.

All hope was now lost; Squall knew it, but Instructor Trepe refused point blank to believe her student would fail. Couldn't his teacher understand that the battle was lost?

"Let me see it," she said, frowning. The Headmaster gave her the book and she read the page for herself. Sure enough, as she neared the end her eyes shut in resignation. Her voice was barely louder than a whisper as she spoke. "I was so sure. I was certain this line was never there."

She closed the cover and stared sadly at it, reluctant to hand it back to the Headmaster. Her despairing eyes met with his and she knew her race had been run. She placed the manual in his hands as though giving up a new-born to a social worker.

"Hold it!" Instructor Trepe's abrupt shout caused everyone to jump. She wrenched the book back, frowning at the serif styled title. "Ninth edition? _Ninth edition?_ Since when were we on the ninth?"

"This is the most recent version," said Mr. Everson.

"No, it's not," she retorted. "We're on the eighth. I'm certain of it. There is no ninth."

"The eighth edition was replaced by the ninth last week," replied the brusque man. "If you were present at the meeting, Miss, you would have been notified."

"Meeting?" said the Headmaster sharply. "What meeting?"

"The meeting last week, on Monday."

I wasn't informed we held a meeting last week. And I didn't know we switched out the guidebooks, either."

"A message was delivered to attendees a while ago, Mr. Kramer. I fail to understand why you should not have received it."

"But wait. Are you saying –" began the Headmaster with a raised eyebrow, but Instructor Trepe finished for him, filling the role of his lawyer.

"– that you and the faculty made a major decision to change the rules without approval from the head of the academy?" Her tone was deathly assertive, rendering an accusatory finger redundant.

"I would like to remind you that the head of the academy is the Garden Master NORG, not the Headmaster, and yes, because of Mr. Kramer's absence, we made an executive and unanimous decision to replace the rules."

"But that's a direct violation of the procedures," replied the Headmaster. "You cannot simply assume I will agree with you because I am not present. I will not allow this edition to pass, and my word is final."

Mr. Everson was silent. Squall could not see his expression, but knew he was livid with having his malicious plans thwarted. His heart began to pulse rapidly; a glimmer of hope shone through the black sky.

"What I don't understand is how this version came into my possession." Cid eyed the faculty member menacingly.

"We delivered it to your room and left it on your desk. Surely you noticed the change."

"No, I didn't. The cover is exactly the same, except for the number. Why not leave it in my mailbox? That's where all deliveries are supposed to go, not into my personal office. Just because you have a key does not mean you may enter as you please."

Again the man said nothing. He remained stony, perhaps hoping they would forget about him.

"I'll bring out the correct edition, assuming it hasn't already been tossed and burned on a stake." Cid left the room in a hurry, plunging them again into a pit of discomfort. The sky was now a clear vista; no clouds for Squall to distract himself with. Not that they had been particularly helpful anyways. Instructor Trepe gave him a small smile and began to slowly pace the office, staring at her black boots. Squall found the rhythmic thump of her shoes to be calming, providing him a sense of order and neutralizing his heart rate. The Headmaster reappeared from the side door.

"What page was it, again? Fifty-two?" He flipped through the spiral-bound sheets, scanning over the text. "Nope, I don't see anything here," he said smugly. He held the book out to Mr. Everson who made to take it, but Instructor Trepe intercepted their exchange, snatching the manuscript away. Her eyes zoomed across the page, sliding back and forth at breakneck speed. The more she read, the lighter her expression became.

"There's nothing here!" She gave the volume to the Garden representative who snapped it shut without a glance. _Can he even see through that hat?_

"Case closed," said Instructor Trepe lightly.

Cid turned to his student, cracking a true smile.

"Squall, I guess I lied. You are going to take part in the final exam after all. I'll see you in the lobby in…" he checked his heavy gold watch. "Half an hour. Mr. Everson, I hope the committee has a backup exam ready so we can go over it later this afternoon?"

"Backup… yes, of course." The man shifted uncomfortably, his arrogant voice faltering.

The Headmaster nodded to his student. "Dismissed."

Squall saluted, more boldly than he had ever done before. The inferno in his stomach was suddenly extinguished, the binding knot in his throat undone. The heavy weight on his chest lifted, and, head spinning, he left the room completely speechless.

Squall leaned against the lobby railing, peering into the moat surrounding him and generally ignoring all the excited chatter around him. The vivid orange koi he was watching jolted away, under the bridge. He shot a glance up at the directory, where Instructor Trepe stood, checking her watch and clutching a clipboard full of papers to her chest. He knew it was almost time. A pair of female candidates interrupted his view, sporting identical cadet outfits. Their knee-cut skirts fluttered by as they laughed, and the girl on the left loosened a large yellow bow tied to her collar.

The familiar tetrad signalled the announcement they had been waiting for. The Headmaster's rich voice echoed through the hall.

**This is the final call for all SeeD exam participants. Please make your way down to the lobby. Thank you.**

Squall looked away as Instructor Trepe began to survey the students lounging nervously in small groups. Somehow, he had a feeling her eyes were trying to lock onto his own figure. His suspicions were confirmed half a second later.

"Squall, over here!" The cadet shuffled over rather reluctantly. His expression seemed to amuse her; he had not consciously altered it, but he guessed it resembled one he would have worn if she had told him to scrub the floor.

"You'll probably be wanting this now." Instructor Trepe held out a curved, black fang.

Squall took it wordlessly, choosing instead to nod his thanks.

"I hope it'll serve you well. I'll be announcing the squad assignments for the exam now, as soon as the Headmaster gives his speech. But just as a heads-up, you're in…" she looked down at her boxed list. "…Squad B. Which means you'll be with…"

Somehow, Squall had a feeling he didn't want to know who else would be joining him. _If you say _his _name, I will slash those papers in half._

"Zell Dincht! Quite a lively fellow!"

Squall smacked his face into his palm. He made no effort to hide the scepticism in his voice, but at least it wasn't _him_. "Lively? He's just loud. Can't I switch members?"

"I'm afraid that's not possible." Squall knew Zell only a bit too well. Feisty, proud, and energetic, his mouth tended to get him into as much trouble as his fists. Squall had the misfortune of sharing every single class but homeroom with the Balamb native.

Instructor Trepe skimmed over the scene, spotted Zell, and waved. "Over here, Zell."

Squall turned to the young man. Standing half a head shorter than him, Zell had formed a clearing in the middle of the hallway, practicing punches and kicks. His outrageous blond hair was slicked back except at the front, where it stood up in vertical tufts, accentuating his high sloped forehead. A black, jagged tribal tattoo ran down the left side of his face.

Squall watched as Zell brought his foot back, punching the air twice with metal gloves. He followed a jump kick to his rear with a block up front. Then, turning at the sound of Instructor Trepe's voice, he performed a cartwheel, connected it with a double back flip, and shot over a crowd of students who instinctively ducked, gaping at his acrobatic form. Zell landed neatly with his back to Squall. He turned his head to face them and grinned, jabbing a thumb at himself. "You called?"

…_Show-off. _Squall crossed his arms and looked away, but Zell was more than delighted to see him there. "Whoa, man, I'm with you?" He looked at his thickly gloved hand, dusted it against his pants, and held it up to his partner. Receiving only a disdainful look, he withdrew his offer, rather put off. His bright aqua eyes travelled immediately to the prominent mark on Squall's forehead.

"You don't get along with Seifer, do you?" he said, punching a fist into his palm. "Heard he whooped you pretty bad this morning."

"We weren't fighting, we were training." corrected Squall, thoroughly annoyed at the mention of the name.

Zell clapped a sympathetic hand over Squall's shoulder, but he brushed it away. "I bet you he doesn't think so. Look, Seifer's just being a pain in the ass. All you have to do is ignore him."

Again, Squall folded his arms and looked away. He certainly did not want to talk about this now. "That's none of your business."

"None of your business," Instructor Trepe echoed yet again in unison. She smiled at her own foresight and cleared her throat. "Ahem… Excuse me, but… that Seifer you're talking about, he's your squad leader."

"SAY WHAT?" Zell stomped the ground, recoiling in shock. The flock of students which he had flipped over threw his backside dirty looks. Squall had expected it; he had somehow known it was coming. He reacted by putting his hand on his hip. _So this is how it's going to be, then._

"It can't be changed," said Instructor Trepe, shaking her head. "The names were selected randomly, except Squall's which was placed onto the smallest team. Sorry." She looked around the lobby for traces of the tall, blond figure. "Seifer! Are you here?"

The rebel came into view, unchanged and impromptu. He was flanked by a man and a woman, both equally menacing. _Fujin and Raijin tagging along as usual… Guess that makes up the whole disciplinary committee._ The disciplinary committee was a self-appointed title. Amused with the trio's proposition, Cid had allowed them to carry out their objectives, oblivious to this day of their severe abuse of power. Harsh and unfair punishments were usually laid upon Zell running through the hallways or Zell causing a ruckus in the cafeteria because of a hotdog shortage.

The woman on the right was Fujin, easily distinguishable by her short silver hair and eye patch. Her general appearance reminded Squall of a sailor, especially with the tight, collared, blue shirt. She stood like one too, straight up with her hands clasped behind her back. To her left was her brother, Raijin. The hulking man had on his tanned and ripped torso only an undersized, open vest. He stuck his broad hands into the pockets of his sweatpants, glowering at anyone who dared to look his way. Their unity was symbolized by their metal shoulder guards; Raijin's on the right, bearing the Centran rune for 'Thunder' and Fujin's on the left engraved with the symbol 'Wind'.

Instructor Trepe glanced at Seifer, rather amused with the collaboration of students in front of her. "You're the squad leader. Good luck to you."

"Instructor," spoke Seifer in a falsely emotional tone, gesturing out his palms, "I hate it when people wish me luck." Behind him, Fujin gave a curt nod and Raijin bowed his whole body in agreement. "Save those words for a bad student that needs them, eh?"

"Okay, then," she replied, looking at her clipboard. Her head swerved back to him. "Good luck, Seifer."

His cool expression broke into anger, and he threw his hands up into the air, raging silently. He struck an arm out, speaking to his comrades. "Add Instructor Trepe to the list."

_The list…? What is it?_

"Well then," said their teacher with raised eyebrows, "you're all assigned to Squad B. I will be one of the teachers in charge along with Instructor Xu. Teamwork is of utmost importance. Let's get through this exam, everyone!"

"Listen up!" All heads turned to Seifer. "Teamwork means staying out of my way. It's a Squad B rule! Don't you forget it." Zell trembled with indignation, clenching his fists and glaring at his new leader. He was about to retort, Squall could tell, but was interrupted before he could begin.

"Everyone here?" Headmaster Cid's voice swept over the students mulling about, silencing them at once. Eight members of the crowd emerged in a line beside Quistis. Squall realized they were dressed in SeeD uniforms and not cadet clothes, recognizing the tallest as Instructor Dean, and a woman with reddish-brown hair to be Instructor Xu. Cid stepped down from the elevator platform and took his place beside Instructor Trepe, right in front of the directory. With his hands behind his back, he delivered a speech through the uneasy silence.

"It's been a while, everyone. How are you all doing?" Apparently, his question was not rhetorical because he frowned at the audience and held out his hands.

"Good," came isolated responses from across the hall.

"Awesome!" burst out a rather familiar girl's voice. Cid broke into a smile.

"I'm glad to hear of that. Alright, let's get down to business. This exam will involve eleven members from squads A through D –"

Instructor Trepe whispered something in his ear, breaking his discourse.

"Oh, twelve members, I'm sorry," he corrected, his eyes twinkling at Squall. He continued his lecture in a graver tone. "You will be proceeding to a real battlefield. Obviously, the battles are for real. Everyone here has proved themselves time and again to be worthy of Balamb Garden's highest honour. Now is the last time you will have to do so. Some of you may feel this to be the first 'real' battle you have ever fought; that none of the other field excursions really counted. I advise you not to think of it like that. Every battle you have engaged in, every swing of the sword, every strike of the fist, has been real. This is no different. Think of it as a simple practical test; a training session. But because it is, and because you are still students at Garden, you are expected to be on your very best behaviour. Gracious professionalism, everyone.

"Next, a warning to all of you: your mission will take place in a very delicate environment. It is therefore not advisable to Summon a GF. Remember to never do more harm than necessary. As you all know, that is one of the golden rules of SeeD.

"Life and death, victory and defeat, honour and disgrace… Each of these goes hand in hand. There's only one way or the other, but apparent victory may turn sour, and a superficial honour may give way to major disgrace." He paused for effect, staring up at the domed ceiling. "A cursed dichotomy of fates.

"So how 'bout it? Are you still up for the challenge?" He leaned in toward the audience, his eyes piercing through each and every face. A collective shiver moved around the students as their pupils met with his. "You will be accompanied by nine SeeD members. Should you fail, these members shall get the job done. They always do." He exchanged a smile with an instructor. "Well, that's one less worry on your mind. The pride of Balamb Garden! The elite mercenary force SeeD! Learn from them, obey their commands, and accomplish the mission. Prove yourself worthy of becoming a member."

Again, the Headmaster stopped to stare at them all, his eyes glowing with hope. "I wish you all the best of luck. Instructors and graduates, please organise your groups. The exam has officially begun as of now." With that, he headed back to the elevator. Squall knew he meant what he said. Though they had not even departed, the instructors were evaluating their actions, watching subtly to see if anyone would mess up.

"Squad B, proceed to the parking lot while I take care of the rest of our troops. I'll meet you guys there."

They parted from the crowd as the instructors started to call names. In silence, they walked to the parking lot, following the freshly repainted yellow stripe down the garage ramp. Five SeeD Personal Carrier vehicles were stationed right next to the entrance. They had a retro look, painted titanium yellow and dull green with red embroidery. Squall could see his own reflection in the shiny silver bumper. It hung from the frame below the license plate which read 'SEED005'.

Zell was the first to get in, opening the back door. Seifer sauntered after him and Squall gave them a moment before following. He had never been inside a carrier vehicle before, and its high tech interior contrasted greatly with the body. Lights shone everywhere; from buttons, panels, and bulbs. Reds flashed, greens pulsed, and blues glowed. A white overhead lamp was the main source of illumination; there were no windows. Squall took a seat on the hard bench beside Zell, opposite Seifer and Instructor Trepe's supposed spot. He wondered where they would be going for the exam. _"A delicate environment,"_ Cid had said.

_What's that supposed to mean? Everything is delicate. The world is delicate. Society is delicate. Life is delicate. _He looked at the metal walls, his eyes pausing for a second on a hatch at the front. He guessed it led to the driver's seat. His stare shifted to Seifer, sprawled over his bench, taking up two of the three spots. Their eyes met for a fraction of a second, but Squall immediately withdrew his gaze to the floor. Instructor Trepe stepped into the car and shut the door.

"At ease, boys." That was their admission to speak and act casually. She took a seat and they waited quietly for departure. Quietly, at least, until…

"Yo, Squall. Show me your gunblade, will ya?" Squall didn't respond, nor did he turn to look at Zell. He hunched further over his crossed arms, admiring the bolts sealing together the metal plates of the floor.

"C'mon, man!"

Still no response.

"Just a peek?"

…

"Tch, fine…" Zell slapped his thigh as the other students' voices approached. "Yeah, yeah... Why you bein' so selfish? Scrooooge!"

Both Quistis and Seifer watched on in amusement.

"Say something, will ya? W-What's on your mind?"

"…Nothing." Squall looked at his instructor, who was laughing quietly; she had guessed his response once again, answering the question slightly before him.

The click of the driver's door told them their chauffer was getting on. They felt the vehicle sink slightly, followed by a flinching slam. The engine started and the car vibrated into life, reversing slowly from their spot. It was quite strange, Squall found, to feel as though he was moving, yet not be able to see anything outside. Their bodies swayed back and forth in unison as the van turned and sped uphill, probably through the ramp. Once they reached the highway, they coasted steadily; the car had a great suspension system.

Zell didn't seem to be able to sit still. He constantly shifted his legs and bounced them up and down, stretching out with his arms and rocking in his seat. He rolled up the sleeves of his uniform only to undo them several moments later. Squall found this very irritating, but he tried his best to ignore him.

There was something else bothering Squall too. He wanted to ask Instructor Trepe a question, but not with Seifer and Zell there. Half of him sought the answer while the other half yearned to preserve the silence. He was spared the internal struggle when Zell, tired of sitting, jumped up and started bouncing on the spot. Squall watched as he shifted from foot to foot, arms out in a battle stance. He punched the air four times, rotated a few degrees, and repeated. Seifer watched his actions scornfully.

"Stop that, it's annoying." Zell glared at him, but obeyed. Seifer smiled. "Chicken-wuss."

Those were the only words he needed to initiate a reaction. Zell's face contorted in rage. He seized his own fist as though restraining it and shook with fury. "WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!"

"Heheheh…"

Instructor Trepe stood up and frowned at the scene. "Knock it off, boys!" Zell glowered for another moment before falling back into his seat, staring intently at the driver's hatch. Quistis backed down as well.

Squall remembered it clearly; two years ago during a field excursion, his class had been introduced to Chocobo catching. The large, flightless yellow birds were a benign monster species that had been a traditional form of land transportation, much like the horses others chose to ride. All of the students were assigned groups with the task of taming a Chicobo, a baby Chocobo. Zell was the assigned leader in a group with Seifer. They spent a full day trying to track down a Chicobo that was actually a chicken. Having no catch to compete with for the following activities, their group received a failing mark. Seifer had never forgiven his mistake, and to this day he called him 'chicken-wuss'. Squall had no idea how Zell had not been able to tell the simple difference between their cries; one sounded like "BOK!" while the other was a "kweh!"

They relapsed into a prickly silence as everyone minded their own business for a while.

"…Instructor…" She and Zell both turned to Squall. "Who was the girl in the infirmary this morning?" Quistis sat back with her hand on her chin, thinking.

"Was someone there? I didn't notice anybody. Is there a problem?"

Squall looked back down at the ground. "No… Not really." The young woman's familiarity still puzzled him. He remembered how her voice had carried right through the glass.

Seifer chuckled heartily. "This is great. I have Chicken-wuss and a guy who just reached puberty in my squad." Zell went into a new fit of silent twitches and Instructor Trepe raised a hand to cover her face, shaking her head.

Five minutes later, the engine shut off; they had arrived at their destination. Instructor Trepe unbolted the door and they all stepped out into the gleaming sunlight, temporarily blinded. They were beside the sparkling Altair Ocean, deep blue in hue. The fresh, salty scent was a welcome change from the synthetic fabrics of the armoured vehicle. Seagulls circled around seven teal boats, some latched to the dock, others slowly moving away from the shore of Balamb Harbour.

Squall stared at the submarine-like ships. "So those are the vessels?"

"Ain't no turning back now." Seifer was standing next to him, his stiff blue vest gleaming under his grey trench. He looked at Squall. "Huh? You scared, too?"

A uniformed SeeD waved them over from the other end of the dock. "Hey, you guys are the last! Hurry up and get in!"

Seifer strolled across the wooden planks as the salty breeze picked up, rustling sails and flags. "Don't disappoint me now."

Zell came up beside Squall. "SeeD Assault Boats, they're called. I've always wanted to ride one. They've got this big mounted machine gun at the front. See?" He pointed at the barricaded hatch of the nearest craft, and sure enough, a gun barrel protruded far ahead of the turret.

"Come on, move it!" Instructor Trepe pressed the two onward, shepherding them into a run. Squall lagged behind, distracted by the old infrastructure of the abandoned port buildings. There was a white stone hut to the side with ornate columns draped in vines. He wondered what purpose it had served.

"Hurry, Squall!"

They approached the boat and climbed through the hatch, noticing a wall-mounted screen at the other end, projecting the SeeD logo in standby. He squeezed past a long seminar table down the aisle between two rows of seats. This time Squall sat in one of the padded chairs facing his instructor, beside Seifer who was already making himself comfortable. He had his black boots on the table, one leg over the other, sprawling his elbows on the armrests. Like Squall, his arms were folded.

Instructor Xu was the last to board the ship, closing the hatch softly behind her. Instructor Trepe jumped to her feet and they exchanged a salute.

"Hi Quistis," she greeted, smiling cordially. Her hand moved to brush back a portion of straight, shoulder length hair, keeping it secured behind her ear. Rough bangs fell over her eyes, and she shook them out of the way as she surveyed her comrades with shining eyes.

"Well, these are the members of Squad B." Instructor Trepe gestured around the cramped space, and Zell stood up.

"Nice to meet ya," he called enthusiastically.

"Pleased to meet you," added Squall, rising to a salute.

The instructor nodded brightly at them both, and then turned to their team captain.

"Seifer, how many times has it been, now?" She couldn't stop a smile from surfacing, seeing him slumped there like a regular.

"Oh, I just love these exams," he exclaimed sarcastically, holding up his arms to embrace the world.

Xu chuckled and continued. "I'll explain the current situation and the mission." Quistis and Zell moved to the corners of the cramped room to allow her to walk up the aisle. "Be seated!"

She stood in front of the screen with her hands clasped, waiting until they were ready. "Our client for this mission is the Dollet Dukedom Parliament."

"No way!" Zell interjected in awe.

"Yup, that's right. With the recent turmoil, we thought it would be a perfect opportunity for our students to prove their training. And fortunately, it just happened that Dollet needed support. A request for SeeD was made eighteen hours ago so we scrapped the original test, and now we're kind of improvising. Which, by the way, means that literally anything could happen."

Xu moved aside and touched the screen, bringing it out of sleep mode. It showed them a bird's eye view of Dollet. Five ports stretched out from a central cluster of buildings, all built above the water. Mountainous plateaus towered on the northern outskirts, isolating the duchy from the mainland. The only passage was through a large crevice, just wide enough for a highway. The colours of the satellite image faded, leaving a green grid system showing a skeleton of the city.

"As you should all know if you weren't living under Chocobo, Dollet has been under attack by the G-Army for about seventy-two hours." She touched the screen again and the grid faded slightly, leaving only the border. Several red dots flashed across the peripheries as Xu continued her lecture.

"Forty-nine hours into the battle, Dollet abandoned its position in the inner city. Currently, they have retreated into the nearby mountains and are reorganizing their troops. That's the current status." The red beacons followed her words, moving to the northernmost edge next to the plateaus hiding off-screen.

"And remember, all time references I'm giving you are in Besaid Standard Time. Dollet is three hours ahead of us. Now, onto the mission objective. According to our reports, the G-Army is mopping up the Dollet troops in the mountain region." The display zoomed over and a blue arrow pointed to the exact spot. "We're to make a landing at Lapin Beach. We will eliminate the remaining Galbadians within the city, liberating it A.S.A.P." Xu narrated their path along the onscreen map.

"Afterwards, SeeD members will intercept any forces trying to make their way into the city from the mountain region." The display changed to reflect her words, pointing at easily penetrable hotspots. "We will remain until the Dolletian parliament requests our withdrawal. That's all." The screen reset itself back to the SeeD logo, and Xu stepped in front of it.

"So what are WE supposed to do?" Seifer looked as bored as he usually did in class.

"SeeD candidates are to eliminate the G-Army inside the city. Squad B is to secure the Central Square."

"Sounds important!" said Zell, pumping his fist.

"Sounds boring," Seifer countered in his drawling voice. He tapped his foot against the desk. "So what you're saying is: we do all the little dirty work…"

Instructor Xu ignored him. "Oh, it hardly needs to be said, but the order to withdraw takes priority. Do not forget. And if anyone asks, you're all SeeDs. They paid Garden to hire professionals, not amateurs, so it's best not to reveal you're still students."

"Who're you calling an amateur?" Seifer waved her away.

She continued as if she had not heard him. "We're almost there. We anticipate a battle as soon as we disembark. Just be prepared. That's all. Any questions, talk to Quistis – Instructor Trepe. I'm going to check on the captain."

Zell and Quistis stood up again and moved to their respective corners. Xu walked back to the entrance but opened a different hatch. She stepped through and closed it behind her.

Everyone sat down again, and Squall found he had an inquiry. "Instructor, are we allowed to Draw from the G-Army soldiers?"

His teacher frowned. "Good question. Normally, that would be against the Garden Code of Conduct, Drawing from any human. But you're technically allowed to do so from anything labelled as an enemy. So I would say yes, you can." Squall nodded.

Instructor Trepe leaned sideways over her seat and reached for a backpack. Picking out three small tablet devices, she handed them to the cadets. "These are Position Harnessing Systems, or PHS's: virtual maps. They'll help us track you so you won't get lost, and they also function as a GPS so you'll know where you're going. I've pre-programmed them to point to your destination. Don't lose them. They're expensive."

Squall took his and turned it on. He was greeted by the SeeD logo, which progressed into a world map. A flashing green point showed him in the water, rapidly approaching land. He zoomed in on Dollet and a gold ribbon slithered through the streets, directing him to the red waypoint at the heart of the dukedom.

"How's everyone feeling? Excited?" Instructor Trepe smiled gently at the boys, looking rather tense herself.

Nobody answered except Zell. "My first real battle. I'm gettin' pretty nervous."

"Better not piss in your pants." Zell's eyes snapped onto Seifer.

"Hah! You talkin' to me?"

"Heh heh."

"Bastard."

The instructor rolled her eyes, annoyed that such an innocent question had turned into the root of a quarrel. "Okay, enough talk. We'll be landing pretty soon. Get ready."

"Roger."

"Alright."

"Yeah, yeah… Well then, Squall. Go see what's going on outside."

He had a very strong urge to refuse Seifer's command, but decided the middle of an exam was not the best time to start a fight. "…Fine."

"Good, because it's MY order."

Squall got up from his seat and left through the same door Xu had used. He found her sitting beside the captain, and she turned at the sound of the hatch. "Yes, Squall?"

"Seifer wanted me to take a look outside."

"Sure. Just release that cover." She pointed above him at the roof. "And take this. It's a picture of the waterfront before the siege. You can really tell the difference. Half the buildings are gone."

Squall pulled a lever and the exit hatch unsealed itself, opening inwards. The deafening roar of wind blasted into the compartment, ruffling the paper he grasped in his hand. He pulled down an extendable ladder and ascended, wondering what horrid, wondrous sight would greet him.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Told you that minor plot twist would work out nicely. Also, I now have a much better premise for why you-know-what happens to Quistis. It seemed rather abrupt in the game, and I'd really like to see it reshaped because that balcony scene was just such a beautiful one.

I think I'd have to say that this is my favourite chapter up to here, mainly because of Squall's "self-fabricated nightmare" and the scene that followed (that was SO fun to write!) although I also really like the second half of Liberi Fatali.

Dollet mission coming up!


	6. The Landing

**A/N: **First of all, I'll answer Miki-Death-Strike's question about the GFs from the chapter 3 review. Due to the weird nature of the game, I've decided that GFs can pass on allegiance to any number of people they choose. People can use the GF as long as they have their token. So every year, a GF is chosen for all the students and by some artificial method, the faculty are able to extract tokens for them all. However, this means that the GF's powers are spread thin, and Summoning wait times are very long.

As for your concern with the Summoner/GF relationship, choosing to describe it during the battle would probably have been a big mistake (I've tried things like that before; they were disastrous so I avoided it in this scene). First of all, my POV character was Squall, and it was Quistis who Summoned, so there was no way I would be able to get inside her head. Even if I could or if I'd gotten Squall to sum it up, I would have had to stop the battle cold as I described the processes, and with the information overload in the previous chapter combined with the information overload right after the fight, they would all have felt like artificial channels for exposition. Does that make sense? Rest assured that the information about Summoning will indeed crop up, but in a much more natural way where I'm free to expand upon it using as many words as I want without interrupting action.

Ifrit was actually personified for a reason (other than because they did so in the game, see below). I don't know; does the personification ruin anything? Is that a bad thing if he's like what he was in the game? Because I don't see any problems with it, but I kind of get what you're saying, yet you don't complain about Shiva being personified. Was it just because of the dialogue?

You aren't supposed to know this yet (not that it matters), but because you brought him up, I might as well explain. "GF" is a broad term used to describe companions of sorceresses. GFs are created by harnessing the life and shell of an existing being. GFs are classified into three types: Aeons, Espers, an Eidolons. Aeons are made from human souls, Espers from monsters/animals, and Eidolons from non-living things (usually machines). Ifrit is an Aeon, and so is Shiva. So they are naturally human-like. Shiva just happens to be the silent, "icy" type.

Once again, thanks for the reviews! You guys rock!

And now, the chapter you've all been waiting for (or not, if you don't like the Dollet mission)!

* * *

><p>Squall looked up in awe at the lovely and pale moon as he scaled the ladder. It was as though he had never noticed it floating in the sky before. The craters and flaws upon such a wise face only emphasized its natural beauty. The reddening sky led his eyes to the sun, halfway back to bed and hidden behind a puffy cloud, pouring out a soft orange glow. As the surging wind whipped his hair across his face and he fought to shake it out of his eyes, the six other warships overtook theirs, each leaving a white, frothy stream in its wake. The sea churned behind them while the water ahead was still calm. Squall was now watching the moon in the ocean, reflected as a rippling orb, waving over the vast blue blanket like a flag. It threatened to split and shatter as the vessels plagued the water with swelling currents.<p>

Squall held up the Dollet photograph, smoothing it out against the furious air whistling by. The skyline had an aristocratic demeanour, with old houses and hotels rising high above the sophisticated stores. He remembered the labels that had been on the screen and transferred them mentally to the photo. Arrows and text clouded his vision, pointing out prominent landmarks. He brought the picture away from his face and saw the reality.

Jets of light streamed up from the shore, less than a mile away. An enormous explosion sounded on the left while a tower collapsed on the right. Another bomb detonated on the beach and the storefront burst into flames. A sailing ship caught fire in one of the harbours. Squall watched as the blaze raced up the mast, incinerating the fabric. His eyes narrowed and he stared determinately at the devastation ahead. _Galbadia, you're going down._

Dropping back into the vessel, he shut the hatch, returning to the others.

Xu shouted after him at the crew. "Everyone, make sure you have your GFs equipped. We're landing in half a minute."

The whole of Squad B reached into their pockets for their tokens. Squall and Zell both took out amber Dynamo stones, while Instructor Trepe removed what looked like an icicle. Seifer came up with a blood red gem, and it only then occurred to Squall he had no idea what GFs Seifer possessed. As one, the relics glowed in bare and gloved palms, each passing its powers to the respective owner. Instructor Trepe repeated the process with a glass marble, cracked down the centre in a jagged yellow stain. Squall extracted his Inferno Fang, waiting for Seifer to do the same. But all he did was slump back into place.

_Doesn't he have…?_

"Yo, Squall! You got one too? Hah, wouldn't have expected any less of you." Zell was holding an identical tooth, already fading into his body. _What the hell? _Squall dropped his Fang in shock. It rolled under his seat, but as he scrambled to retrieve it, the whole ship pitched upward, vibrating fiercely, then crashed back into the water. Squall tumbled into Seifer's outstretched legs, hitting his head on the table along the way.

"Watch it, Leonhart!"

"Sorry! My bad!" called the captain from behind the airtight seal. "I hit a levee. All's fine."

Steadying his bruised body, Squall snatched the Fang from the floor and re-seated himself. Still overcome with disbelief, he couldn't resist asking. "How did you…?"

"Hm? Oh." Zell broke into a mischievous grin. "It was a dud, really. I thought they asked me if I wanted to start in ten, twenty, thirty, or forty minutes. So obviously, I picked ten, wonderin' why I couldn't start right away. Then all of a sudden they shoved me into that cave and then that big Ifrit guy showed up pretty soon. I was gonna run for it, but he called me a weakling. So I beat the crap outta him. Managed to finish early without even knowin' I was timed."

"Fascinating story, Chicken-wuss. Let's hope you can pull that off out here." Squall knew Seifer couldn't really talk; he had not done any better. This revelation improved his mood so much that he started to look forward to the rest of the exam. He quickly scanned over Ifrit's powers as the ship began to slow. The first thing he noticed was his new fiery affiliation. He probed some more and found that Ifrit allowed him to junction to his physical strength. That was bound to come in useful. He split his stocked energy between Quetzalcoatl and Ifrit, hoping he would be able to Draw more along the way.

Their boat stopped forcefully, grinding up against what sounded like sand. Xu came bustling into the cabin, and the whole back end of the ship opened up, the monitor folding away neatly into the ceiling. Squad B ran out onto the soft beach.

All around them, the other SeeDs and cadets were disembarking from their vessels. Both forces seemed to have retreated from the waterfront at the sight of the warships; no foreign uniforms were to be seen. Instructors Xu and Trepe exchanged another salute, and the former ran off with a crowd of supervisors.

"Okay, you are to secure the Central Square! Seifer, take care of your teammates."

For once the man heeded without comment. He turned away from the ship. "Let's move out."

Together they ran forward, past the shrapnel and bits of metal wedged into the ground. Squall was gripped by a surge of adrenaline. It was just like Zell had said; his first real battle. Everyone was thinking the same thing but no one wanted to voice it; they had never spilled human blood before and nobody was sure how he or she would take it. Squall certainly hoped _he _wouldn't fall. Even so, he could not die; being junctioned to a GF granted temporary immortality. Revival from half-death would require a rare concoction, though. He would most certainly fail his exam. And worse yet, if both Quetzalcoatl and Ifrit were to be removed, he would return to mortality.

Dead bodies littered the beach, trickling dark, red liquid into the tawny sand. The tides swept in and out, lapping away at the forgotten memories, washing away decades of experiences. Squall couldn't stop himself from staring back at their hollow eyes, receiving an unnerving chill each time he did so, yet thankful most of them had their heads covered by helmets and masks. He tried not to imagine someone's despairing expression as an inferno doused his helpless soul, or the pleading frown of a man begging to be spared, only to receive a knife in the face. One of the bodies was horribly disfigured, splayed out and segmented. The leg lay in a bloody mess a couple inches off the torso, beside what looked like a crumpled left hand. The helmet had been crushed on the side, and it looked as though more than just blood was oozing out of the eye sockets…

Squad B met up with a trio of cadets waiting right below the stairs leading to the road. The only girl in the group looked vaguely familiar, but Seifer continued ahead, forcing Squall along before he could process her face. A flaming car was heaped over a mound of rubble on their right, so they followed a smaller cobblestone road forward. They had only moved a few steps when a pair of soldiers stepped out from behind an archway. Squall recognized them as Galbadians immediately; silver helmets covered their heads all the way over their eyes, leaving them to see through three small, red lenses. _MGM-90 helm with Triclops technology: Enhances the wielder's vision by providing magnification, infrared detection, night vision, and a HUD with auto-Scan. _The blue uniforms underneath their metal guards distinguished their low rank. Squall unsheathed Revolver, his spirit pumped by the menacing metallic grind. The soldier on the left seemed confused.

"They're Dollet reinforcements?" he asked his partner. "They still look like kids."

"Who cares? They're all dead to me!" Both drew longswords; simple, laughable toys compared to the gunblades. One charged at Seifer, the other at Zell. Squall watched carefully, ready to jump in at the slightest notice.

Seifer grinned at his opponent as he blocked the obvious swing to the neck. He correctly predicted the swipe across the waist, and laughed as the soldier missed a jab to the stomach.

"Is that all you've got?"

To his right, Zell was taking his task a bit more seriously. As the man swung his sword, Zell halted his strike, grabbing his wrist and twisting it. He flipped him over and kicked his helmet off. The warrior struggled to stand but the martial artist, still gripping his hand, raised him into the air and slammed him back down.

Seifer was still playing with his food: he continued to divert the soldier's pathetic stabs and slices, all the while taunting him. "Come on, even Chicken-wuss could do better than that!" Bored at last, he whipped Hyperion through the air, knocking the man's longsword out of his hand. Seifer ran ahead, ten metres away by the time the weapon hit the ground. Squall snatched it away from the fumbling guards and hurled it back to the beach. They would have to face the other squads if they wanted that sword back. Together, he and Zell ran after their leader along the narrow street.

They passed by old-fashioned buildings buckling under cracked and smashed windows. A café bearing the name _Spice_ in thin, curly writing had its patio chairs thrown about. An elderly man still sat in one, his head hanging from his neck by a string of flesh. Blood dripped steadily from the stump into his pasta dish, tainting what looked like a creamy Alfredo sauce. Squall wrenched his eyes away from the scene; Seifer was already out of sight. Squall hurdled over a chair and made to continue, but a soldier leapt out from the doorframe and blocked their way. Squall stumbled to a halt and ducked as the Galbadian swung his sword. Retreating several steps, he unsheathed Revolver again. Zell stepped beside him and deflected a swipe, hooking the blade from the side. He ducked as it came whistling through the air again, twisting into a leg sweep and tripping his opponent. Zell pounced, and with a foot on the man's back, retracted his fist and delivered a crippling blow to the head.

Squall heard footsteps behind him and turned to be greeted by another pair of soldiers.

"Look out!" called a brisk voice. "It's SeeD!"

Squall met them with his sword held high and heaved it down, knocking one of them to the ground. The other cleaved his blade wildly, but Squall blocked each stroke with ease.

"Heads!"

Squall dropped right on cue; the leg of a silver patio chair skimmed his hair and walloped the solider in the stomach. He stumbled back and Squall struck at his unprotected leg, dropping him down. He had almost forgotten about the soldier's comrade; an adversary longsword whistled ominously close to his ear. Squall backed away and shielded himself from another shot. He wanted to follow the Headmaster's words; to do no more harm than necessary, but the Galbadians would not back down. There was no choice left.

Lunging back, Squall gripped his sword tightly and waited for the right moment; the sliver of time he could strike at an exposed neck or wedge his blade between breastplate and thigh guard. It came all too fast. Squall knew it before it happened. He launched the tip of the silver blade below the soldier's jaw right as the man lifted his head to strike. The metal edge pierced through easily. A squirt of blood shot down Revolver, to be joined by several crimson channels. They merged into murderous tributaries and dripped off as lethal rivers. Squall didn't know someone could bleed that much, nor did he want to find out if anyone else could. The man's face drained of colour. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Squall imagined his silent scream filling the air, ringing in his ears, and as the soldier's life was sapped from his body, Squall was whisked back in time.

The cadet stood beside his six year old self in a blank canvas. Dark shapes moved hazily around them, rising and falling like rolling waves in a storm. A classroom suddenly bloomed from the void. Vivid colours saturated the scene, breathing life into the steel doors and polished wood walls. As Squall looked around, the details began to paint themselves in; the desk he used to sit at; the one with the peeling edges and rusting metal. He remembered how the paint had flaked away in the shape of a heart and how someone had carved their initials into it. "WD," it used to read, beside another, newer cut, inscribed in thin, jagged lines: "HL."

Little people faded into view beside him. They surrounded a short man standing in the centre. Squall's classmates waited quietly for Instructor Pysandrous to continue his lecture. His olive eyes flickered as he discussed their agenda for the day.

"After lunch you will not be going to math as usual. Instead, you will come back here, to room 202. Everyone understand? We will be doing something special for the rest of the week. I might as well tell you about it now.

"I am sure you have all heard the older students use the word 'Bloodfest' to talk about this, especially for the past week. However, its proper name is 'conditional neutralizing'. Everybody say that."

"Conditional neutralizing," the class echoed in their high-pitched chorus.

"This is just a fancy term for 'getting rid of your fears'. 'Conditioning' means doing something over and over again until you get used to it. 'Neutralizing' means making something less important or stopping it from working. So 'conditional neutralizing' rids you of your fears by scaring you a lot of times, but also making sure you are not too scared. Er… Well, it will all make sense later.

"So what fear is it that we will be dealing with? Well, for one thing, it lies at the root of absolutely all the fears you have. This fear is so fundamental – basic – that we fear it even before we are born. We fear this because we have no idea what it is like, and because it means a change from what we are used to. I am talking about death.

"Death is not a subject that should be taken lightly. Yet it is not something that should be ignored and locked up, either. It is inevitable – it cannot be avoided – and we must learn to respect and accept its ways.

"This is an annual process – something done every year. It is also mandatory – you have to do it. It lasts a week, and after that, you can return to normal math class."

Miniature Squall tilted his head. He had certainly heard about an event coming up. The excitement in the halls that morning had made it sound like a party. Squall hated parties, even though he had never really been to one. They were loud and chaotic; that was how he had heard Instructor Aki describe them.

"You will probably feel uncomfortable while doing the activities. That is natural. If it is too distressing – scary – you can step out for a bit. But please try to come back in. It is important that you can do this. The first thing we will do is watch a film."

The school bells tolled, chiming out the twelfth hour in an elaborate tune.

"I will see you all here after lunch. Dismissed."

Squall remembered the documentary well. He recalled the old, white man – probably some war veteran – sitting in a chair talking about death. About murder, genocide, and suicide. It started out mild. Old black and white footage of battlefields after the battles had been fought. Bodies littering landscapes; swords strung out from lifeless fingers. The man moved on to talk about torture chambers; prisoners of war. Gassing. Bodies, freshly asphyxiated, piled up on top of each other. Rotting people in little cells, lined up along a grey hallway. Old devices; iron maidens, breaking wheels, crucifixes. Then he talked about execution. A heavy blade glistening in the sun as it fell from its frame. Pebbles, rocks, and boulders tossed onto a half-buried teenager. Rows of uniformed men, pointing guns at a bound woman. People dangling from ropes, revolving slowly to face everyone in the crowd. Sorceresses screaming, bound to burning wooden splints, their tears reduced to smoke with every gasp. A man puncturing his own stomach with a long, thin blade, cutting a dripping red gash across his torso.

Children cried. Instructor Pysandrous comforted them. Squall stared at the screen.

The old man talked. More footage of death and dying. Blood splatters. Severed body parts. More talking. Nooses. Crosses. Knives. Spears. Heads on sticks. Mutilated carcasses. People hanging in town squares. In jails. In torture chambers. In their own closets.

Squall remembered it all too clearly. He watched himself staring on emotionlessly, ignoring the wails, yelps and insane laughter around the room. Something was building up inside his past consciousness, but he couldn't tell what it was. A blunted emotion? Squall tried to immerse himself in memory, but like a poorly tuned radio, he barely received a signal. His recollection was ending. The rest had been forgotten. As much as he wanted to remember, the broadcast was over. And then, right before he lost all connection, his past thoughts rang out. _[What happened to her? Did she die like that?]_

_What the hell? _Squall snapped back into the present. He jerked Revolver's bleeding tip from the Galbadian's throat, turning away as the body fell in place. He didn't want to look at the man, nor did he want to spend another moment beside him.

"C'mon!"

He had completely forgotten about Zell. His teammate reappeared, and they followed Seifer's presumable trail, ignoring the semi-conscious soldier they had left against the wall. More stores flashed across Squall's vision. He pulled out his PHS and checked where they were going. Though his eyes were on the gold trail, his mind was still set on the flashback. _Who was I thinking about? _The name was on the tip of his tongue, so close yet so far. The person he had just envisioned. There was something important about her. All he could see was a vague, fuzzy silhouette; a mysterious shadow deep in the heart of his memory.

_Dammit. I'm thinking too much again. Concentrate._

Dollet's crumbling façades billowed smoke into the auburn sky. Collapsed neon letters cried showers of sparks into the streets. Doors swung despairingly on twisted hinges, while patio tables bared the weight of the world with only two legs. They rounded a hard bend and found Seifer waiting for them beside the old double doors of _The Shining Bomber_, which Squall guessed was a bar.

"Could you move _any _slower? What were you Blobras doing, playing hide and seek? I ain't waiting so long next –"

All three members looked up at once. A pair of G-Soldiers ran out onto the overpass linking the buildings above and mirrored their stare. They jumped down two storeys, scattering the cadets. Seifer and Squall drew their swords, but Zell needed no preparation. His fist glowed red for a moment, and before they had touched the ground, he rushed the man on the left, delivering an unnaturally forceful punch to the skull. The soldier collapsed like a ragdoll, splaying his limbs over the debris-stricken cobblestones. Squall could see the prominent crater in his helmet. The soldier's comrade rolled to ease his fall, but Squall seized the opportunity and sliced straight down at his crouched figure. Streaks of purple left his body as Seifer Drew blue orbs, holding his sword vertically above him. Zell brought his fist up to his face, holding his wrist with the other hand. The familiar cascade of green and blue surrounded him, and as he turned his gloved palm toward the soldier, flames erupted out of the ground, roasting his armour. For a second he burned in agony, writhing upon the heated stone, and then his body was still.

Seifer walked away, but Squall hung back. He squatted beside the body and patted the Galbadian down, reaching into his pockets. He was in luck; his gloved fingers extracted two Potions. Zell, realizing what he was doing, followed suit with the other man. He pulled out a card.

"Huh? Some sorta ID?" Squall took it from him and looked it over.

"Looks like a scan pass. It might be useful later." He handed it back to Zell, who stuck it in his pant pocket. "Let's go. We're almost there."

They traveled at a brisk walk, captivated by their miserable surroundings. More dangling pub signs and trashed store displays lined the alley. Miraculously, a vintage blue car was parked without a scratch beside an equally unharmed store. Squall wondered how it had survived the initial attack.

"We're almost there," announced Seifer. "The Central Square is up ahead." He turned his back on them. "Hey, all you Galbadian cowards out there! Come out'n show your faces! Don't leave me hanging now!"

Zell raised his eyebrows as Seifer bound ahead. "What an idiot."

As they crossed under another overpass, the Square came into sight. _…What? But it's a circle. _Several spotlights around the inner edge of a flower-painted roundabout shined brightly on the central fountain. The statue of a bare woman draped in thick, cemented ribbons of fabric gushed water from the tip, spilling sparkling jets over the marble platform and into the rocky basin below.

Squad B moved closer to the fountain, scanning the area for soldiers. Squall looked up the two side streets, each filled with more shops and houses, and noticed a few empty army vehicles barricading one of the alleys. Before he could point them out, he heard a whine from a table on the nearby patio. All three cadets stood alert, staring fixedly at the bistro. There was another whine, followed by the appearance of a beige bloodhound, wandering delicately from underneath a seat. The dog raised its miserable head at the humans; its sorrowful, brown eyes stared right through their figures at the groaning buildings. They watched without a word as it trotted up to them with drooped ears and sniffed half-heartedly at the ground, searching fruitlessly for its owner. Zell squatted down to pet it, ruffling the dull, tan fur, but Seifer issued another command. He raised Hyperion and pointed at the armoured cars.

"All right. I want you guys to scout the area for enemies."

Squall looked around. "I don't think there are any left here."

"Just check anyways." He turned away as the hound approached, patting the floor softly with its paws. It gave a despairing whimper and gripped the hem of Seifer's grey trench with its teeth, tugging gently like a nervous child. The man buried his face in his hand, shaking his head. Squall and Zell surveyed the area, walking slowly about. Directly ahead was the _Hotel Dollet Royale_. It was easily the most distinguishable building on the block. Two fancy, white columns supported a beautiful archway, carved with flowers and vines. The oak double doors leading to the lobby were posh and refined, embossed with bevelled square panels. Handsome white casement windows lined the exterior, each topped with a striped awning. Squall glanced at the giant television monitor above the door. Its glass display merely crackled with static.

They moved to the right, where a large and deserted bistro glared coldly back at them. The cracks in the windows were like spider webs, radiating out from bullet holes. Beside the metal chairs and marble tables, a modest wheelbarrow was heaped with lovely rose bouquets. It looked as though someone had been selling them right before the siege. A chalkboard menu was set up at the iron-wrought storefront.

The Square was completely empty. It looked as though they would be idle for a while. Zell took a seat on a patio chair, crossing one leg horizontally over the other. Squall pulled out the one next to him, then decided he did not feel like sitting. This was supposed to be a war, not a waiting room. He took to wandering around the street, peering into shattered windows and empty doorframes. The bloodhound gave another whine and Squall noticed it tugging at Seifer's coat again. Seifer ignored the dog, which ran a lap of the roundabout and paused in front of Zell, scratching its back vigorously with a hind leg.

"Well then," said Seifer, clearly annoyed, "we're on standby 'til the enemy comes." Squall and Zell watched him take a few steps forward, spinning his sword slowly in his hand. "Standby… How boring." The hound was sniffing at the brick road tiles again, wagging its tail enthusiastically. It made its way up to them and beckoned tentatively at Seifer, who let out a very audible sigh. Zell smirked discreetly, turning away to hide his amusement.

A low rumble suddenly shook the ground, alerting all three cadets to their surroundings. The dog perked up, shifting its ears very slightly. It gave a soft bark and tilted its head from side to side. Another rumble resonated distantly in their ears, followed by what sounded like a firework. Squall looked at the others, neither of whom seemed to have an idea of what was going on. "Sounds like something's starting."

"Bring it on. Just what I –" Seifer started to say, but he was interrupted. "Get outta here!" He glared at the bloodhound, which had chosen yet again to use his jacket as a security blanket. "Scram!" He waved his arm violently at the dog, which whined and shrank away, looking flustered. Seifer ran to the opposite side of the fountain and announced his own declaration of warfare.

"Hey! Galbadian soldiers! What are you waiting for? Come show me what you've got!" He raised Hyperion and swung at the air a few times before finally sheathing his weapon. The dog howled a deafening tone that reverberated all around the brickwork buildings, raising its head sentimentally to the almost-full moon and signalling its avid agreement.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Bet you didn't see that Inferno Fang twist coming! I really hope this chapter lived up to your expectations. Alert me at once if it didn't, because this is where the real action begins.

This chapter was supposed to be packed with emotions. The nervous tension of an exam, the first-time thrill of battle, the numb trauma of memories, and the prickly unrest of waiting. How did I do?


	7. Force Your Way

**A/N:** That's quite all right, Dead Pollen, I haven't touched my computer for the past few days, which means I haven't been writing either (oops). Anyways, I'm glad you enjoyed the opening. That was my single most rewritten paragraph. You were looking at its fourth version, so I guess that payed off. I tried a bunch of different cinematic feels at first, but I decided sticking with third person was best.

Actually, I never realized that about the flashback, so thank you for pointing that out! I think I was subconsciously trying to emphasize the dichotomy of math and battle, but I didn't know exactly what I was doing.

Would you say that the unrest needs working on, near the end of the last chapter? I expanded upon it at the beginning of this one, but I still think the mood should be very clear in the previous.

UPDATE: THANK YOU, Dead Pollen for pointing out that the chapter seemed rushed. I noticed everything was a bit flat while editing, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was. I've made extensive changes to the chapter starting from the part when they begin to climb the mountain, and I've renovated the battle to be (what I hope is) a much more effective scene.

* * *

><p>The tolling of a grand church bell reverberated around the square, signalling the sixth hour. Squall tensed up and looked around, half-expecting a calamity to drop. For once, he chose to voice his thoughts. "It's nothing."<p>

Zell glanced at him for a moment, then resumed his pacing with his hands on his hips. Seifer had Hyperion resting over his shoulder, standing in the shadow of a crumbling wall. He did not look up when Squall spoke, but continued tapping his sword against himself, staring at the cracked cobblestones. The bloodhound was scratching again, but it kept its distance from Seifer, who glowered down the narrow street they had come from.

"Still keeping us waiting?"

All three cadets were bored out of their minds. It wasn't like lounging in the quad on a hot summer's day, perhaps with a refreshing drink and good book at hand. Squall had a constant anxiety pressing him on. He could not stand still, he needed to be moving and fighting. The monotonous silence around them was unbearable. He wondered why Garden had not assigned them a more interesting exam. Maybe patience was part of the rubric. Maybe this was the actual test, to see if they would all lose their heads and go insane.

_What's happening? Where the hell is everyone?_

"That's… IT!" Seifer's voice startled them all, including the dog which yelped loudly. He lashed Hyperion into a downspout, leaving a portion of pipe flattened. "I can't take it anymore! What is this, some kind of dog training?"

_He's losing it… Guess this really is the test._

A howl came from the furthest alley; the hound had run ahead. Its call was followed by the sound of muffled footsteps. Squall shot a look at Zell and they skimmed the square for cover. Seifer positioned himself rather noticeably behind a statue fixed to the edge of a wall; Squall knew he has half-hoping for a confrontation. The dog had already bounded out of sight, and Squall and Zell ran, doubled over, behind the cart of roses. They lay on the ground in a prone position, lifting themselves slightly with their forearms. Squall peered out from behind a wheel spoke and saw a pair of blue-uniformed soldiers sneak out of the blocked alley. He held his breath as they surveyed the area, wondering if Seifer was going to signal an assault.

Squall was met by a brief moment of panic as his metal necklace slipped out of his uniform, clinking noisily against the ground. He grabbed at the ring strung onto it and froze. One of the soldiers turned toward the sound.

The Galbadians gestured behind them, and a small army of eleven soldiers tiptoed into sight, each head swivelling left and right with pronounced unease. The patter of their combat boots was as light as soft rain, and it grew fainter and fainter as they disappeared around the hotel. Zell started to lift himself up, but Squall grabbed his wrist and waited a full ten seconds before allowing him to do so. "It's the enemy," he said, loud enough for Seifer to hear.

"Where the hell they goin'?" said Zell, brushing himself off.

Squall stood beside Seifer and Zell at the end of the road, staring down the path the soldiers had taken. The winding street led their eyes to the elevated outskirts, past a bridge connecting to the mountains, and finally to the base of a distant tower.

"Hey, what is that up there?" said Zell.

Seifer pointed Hyperion down the lane. "Our next destination."

The determination on his face was unbreakable. Squall knew he would not change his mind, no matter how hard they tried to dissuade him.

"But that's against orders," said Zell.

Seifer did not look at him. "Weren't you just saying how bored you were?"

Zell tugged at his collar, his fingers fumbling over the fabric. His furrowed eyes snapped to Squall, as if he expected his support.

Squall walked away. Half of him agreed, but the other half would not back down from a challenge.

"I stand by the captain's decision." His comment shocked even himself, but he had to prove worthy of becoming a SeeD. Waiting for nothing wouldn't cut it.

Seifer whipped around with a bemused expression. "…Captain's decision." And then he cracked up and clapped a hand over Squall's shoulder. His squeeze was painful. "You want to wreak some havoc too, don't you?"

Squall shook Seifer's hand off rather forcefully and turned to nobody in general. "It's a good opportunity to test out my training. Thanks to you, I feel like I can take on anyone. Even if they do fight dirty, like you."

Seifer glanced away, more satisfied than offended. "You'll really thank me when the time comes."

"What the hell…" Zell stepped up with a distasteful frown. "I thought you guys didn't get along? You're like, all buddy-buddy now. Listen. This ain't no ordinary battle. It's an exam. An important one. You wanna graduate, right? Then I'm tellin' ya, we have to stick to orders."

"Then you stay here. I don't need any boy scouts."

"What was that?" Zell's voice cut through the air like a guillotine.

"Don't take him seriously. Seifer, if we're gonna go, let's hurry."

Seifer nodded. "The enemy is headed for the facility. We, Squad B, are to secure the summit. Let's make this quick. Move out!"

"Alright."

"Tch. Fine."

Squall brought out his PHS. He scrolled the map with his finger and zoomed out. The road would lead them as far as the Dollet Communication Tower, which Squall guessed the soldiers were travelling to. He plotted a route, but then realized a flaw in their plan. Zell seemed to read his mind.

"That tower looks pretty damn far."

"Eight point one kilometres. How are we going to get there in time?"

Seifer frowned. He looked around the square, and then his eyes lit up. He strolled over to the Galbadian army vehicles still sitting along the road.

"You've got to be kidding me." Squall buried his head in his hands.

"Anyone know how to hotwire a car?"

Zell sighed. "You're serious, aren't you? Then leave it to me."

A few minutes later, Squad B was cruising down the street in their slick new ride, disguised as the enemy. Squall couldn't help but wonder what would happen if they were attacked by Dolletian forces, or even worse, caught by Garden. Surely, they would be disqualified from the exam. He was starting to regret ignoring Zell's advice, and it didn't help that Seifer was driving a bit too fast. Squall knew they had to finish the job quickly, but it was rather nerve-racking to watch the vehicle swing into the wrong lane in order to make sharp turns; he was extremely thankful the roads were deserted. He checked the clock and found that twenty-five minutes had passed. The trip could have been much shorter, but they had been forced to take several detours because of the debris lining the roads, searching out the open routes by trial and error.

A suspicious clambering on the roof made Squall spin around in his seat. All of a sudden, the car was filled with red light. The buildings on the sides of the streets had vanished. Zell gasped as the ruby sunset pierced through the tinted windows. They were on the bridge they had seen earlier, completely surrounded by Galbadians. Dozens of them were standing along the side of the road, securing the entrance to the mountain trail. They lumbered across the road, illuminated every few seconds by the harsh glow of the old-fashioned streetlamps. Squall held his breath, waiting for the moment they would be caught and captured, bound and gagged with no hope of returning to Garden – never mind graduate, but the guards did not bother to look through their windows.

The road began to wind up the side of the mountain and the soldiers soon vanished from sight. Their path disappeared to be replaced with a dirt track, which opened into a clearing. The flagstone lane ahead was far too narrow and rocky to continue driving, so they left the vehicle and proceeded to walk.

Squall felt rather naked without the safety of bulletproof walls and the threating defence of their hulking army van. They were in enemy territory now, and who knew what kind of activities were going on? He checked the map again and found that they were, in fact, a few hundred metres ahead of their destination, but if they followed the road, it would spiral back to the tower.

The mountain soon became too steep for a sloped route and their paved trail gave way to stairs. Squall made his way past bushes and bluffs, starting to wonder why he had agreed to play along. He didn't want to be a bystander in this affair, but toning his leg muscles over a series of endless staircases wasn't much better. His breath pressed against his lungs with the ever increasing altitude, and each step was propelled only by Squall's satisfaction that Seifer was growing just as tired.

"Halt!" Seifer stopped his team as they came upon what looked like a body lying on the ground. They drew their weapons and approached with caution.

The dull green jumpsuit signified an ally. Seifer bent down to check the Dolletian soldier's pulse, lifting the man's visor out of the way. "Dead." They continued up further along, reaching another body. The higher they traveled the more soldiers they passed. Most of them were motionless, though some stirred feebly with resigned groans.

By now, Squall had seen enough dead bodies for the rest of his life. The neutralizing might have numbed his fears, but it did nothing to quell his judgment. A dead body was a dead body was a dead body. It was a human who had lost his only chance at life, his only opportunity to make a difference, to do whatever he wanted in this world. Squall felt a sudden bubbling hatred for Galbadia. Who gave them the right to bully the rest of the world? He relieved his fury by donating one of the Potions he had acquired to a warrior propped up against a boulder. The man took it with a shaky hand, nodding his appreciation.

They reached a flat patch of gravel.

"We're almost there," said Zell, consulting his PHS. "Just a bit fur –"

A rustle came from the towering bush on their left. Seifer stopped moving, and Zell walked right into him. Squall and Seifer unsheathed their gunblades as a Dollet soldier crawled out from the foliage. He looked at the cadets.

"Ahhh! W-W-Who are you?"

"Don't worry," said Squall. "We're SeeDs. We've been dispatched by Garden." The man breathed a sigh of relief.

"So what's going on up there?" said Seifer.

"The Galbadian soldiers have… entered the Communication Tower... Destroyed our army… On top of that… this place has always been… a nesting ground for monsters… If you guys are… going up… be caref – " There was a hiss from behind the bush, and the soldier was suddenly dragged backward. "H-HELP!"

Squall reacted first. He leapt forward and seized the man's hands. With a tumultuous tug, the soldier came tumbling out of the undergrowth. He gave a great cry of pain and Squall blanched at the sight of his aggressor.

Trailing at the end of his leg was an enormous brown cobra, twice Squall's height, its body the thickness of his own. The snake threw its massive, flat head at Squall, who shot away with a harsh crunch of gravel. It slithered speedily across the ground to greet him again, flashing razor-sharp fins and gathering in a coil. Squall backed away behind Zell who aimed a punch to its head but missed, while Seifer failed a swipe across its belly. Squall took cover and Drew, siphoning blue Pyreflies into his body. They gave him a much stronger rush than the soldiers' energy had.

"Scouting party!" said Seifer.

Everyone's battle tactics changed; Zell and Squall were now on defence. They circled the snake, directing its attacks toward them while Seifer Scanned it.

_Anacondaur_

_A large venomous snake that squeezes its victims. Very nimble and rather resistant to attacks. Use caution when it is weakened; it spits poisonous fluid. Hates the cold, and doesn't mind the heat._

Seifer issued another command. "Life leech!"

The trio rearranged themselves to form a triangle around the furious viper. Seifer and Zell Drew while Squall distracted it. The snake hissed vehemently and coiled its body around Seifer, binding him in giant chains. Seifer strained to slice through its tough hide, but his arms were rendered useless, compressed to his sides. Zell freed him with a pounce onto the snake's head and a blow to the skull. The Anacondaur slackened its grip enough to allow Seifer to puncture its tail.

It retreated, but Squall blocked its path. He took a chance and Drew.

_Dammit._

The serpent flicked its tail into his torso. Squall felt a spike pierce his stomach, but before he could register the pain, he was tossed into the cliff face. He heard Ifrit grunt inside his head and absorb the blow, but a searing pain still shocked through his flesh. The gleaming sapphires of his Draw hung in the air like lanterns, pulsing gently in the wind. Squall tried to get up, but felt as though his abdominals were severed. His eyes blurred with tears of pain, his back seared with white-hot knives. He searched frantically for a Potion, wrenching the cork out with his teeth and downing the bitter tonic in one swig. The burning flesh of his stomach grew back rapidly, and a new layer of skin stretched over what had just been a gaping hole.

"Come on, Squall. You're better than that, aren't you?" Seifer's tone was pure mockery. He blocked a tail swipe with Hyperion and stole Squall's Pyreflies while Zell rejected the serpent's bite with a punch to the jaw. "Do it right this time. Life leech!"

Squall's vision clouded in a crimson film. His grip tightened on Revolver until his fingers went numb. He would have swallowed Seifer's taunt, and he might even have shaken off the Pyrefly steal. But that grin. That self-satisfied, I'm-better-than-you curve of the lips. Squall wouldn't take it.

Their next attempt at life leech was much more successful, although Squall's persistent gaze on the back of that blond head led to several close encounters. He learned the serpent's attack patterns and how he could provoke it while remaining unharmed. He Drew rapidly, timing his movements to interfere with Seifer's, going as far as to Draw out of turn. Seifer quickly caught on.

"Now who's fighting dirty?" He cranked up his pace on par. Cyan orbs spiralled in a tornado as they began to steal each other's energy mid-air.

A very indignant Zell ended up as the only sentinel. "What the hell!" he bellowed, wrestling the seething Anacondaur into submission. "I'm gonna kill you guys."

Seifer broke away from their game. He charged at the snake and ran Hyperion through its hide, leaping back as a spiked tail thrashed his way.

Squall's eyes flashed. He rushed after Seifer and they all made a spontaneous switch to relentless assault mode. Squall wasn't going to let Seifer earn the kill. They duelled against the Anacondaur with fire in their eyes. The battle grew more and more chaotic as Seifer shoved Squall aside for a strike, only to receive an elbow in the face. Zell shot a livid expression at Squall, who ignored it, choosing instead to knock Hyperion out of his vision.

Zell grappled the head and locked the Anacondaur in place while Squall and Seifer mirrored each other's strikes. Two deep gashes cleaved into its body, and the swordsmen retreated as the Anacondaur flailed in anguish. It reared, almost throwing Zell into the air, but he held tight to one of its fangs and managed to rip it out.

"That'll teach you!"

Squall jumped into the air, spurred his sword down and hacked off the end of its tail. The perfect opportunity for a kill presented itself within seconds. He brought Revolver over his shoulder and swung at the Anacondaur's neck, but an ominous black streak whistled through the air, almost slicing off Squall's ear. The Anacondaur's severed head flipped onto the gravel. Seifer's sword clambered beside it while the snake's segmented body teetered over like a tower of blocks before thudding next to Hyperion.

Squall stood there, panting heavily beside Zell who was wiping the sweat off his forehead. So Seifer had gotten the last say after all. He could see the vindictive pleasure in those blue eyes, their sparkle as intense as Squall's contempt.

A whimper came from the Dollet guard by the side of the path. Squall stuffed his feelings and made his way over where he could see exactly what the man was moaning about. A deep trench had been carved through his pants from his knee to his ankle. Squall guessed it had happened as they pulled him out from the bush. Little puddles of blood had formed on the ground as the bright liquid trickled down his overalls, soaking the fabric through. The soldier was foaming at the mouth and twitching ruthlessly.

"He's poisoned," said Seifer. He strode up to them, black cloth in hand, wiping the thick snake blood off Hyperion. "Give him an Antidote." Squall felt around his item belt and extracted an oblique glass container filled with a bit of acid green liquid. He unscrewed the cap and tilted the bottle into the man's frothing mouth, careful not to spill any medicine. The soldier swallowed and coughed a few times, expelling red phlegm all over the ground. Both the trembling and the foaming eased away. Zell poured a Potion directly into the wound and pinned the man's leg as he writhed in discomfort. A billow of sky blue smoke rose from the cut, which was suddenly several years old, and then no longer existent.

"Thank you."

"Don't worry about it." Squall put his hand on his hip. "So there are monsters, huh?"

"That sucks," said Zell.

"More fun for us… Come on."

Zell stared after Seifer with an incredulous expression. "Fun? Pu-lease!"

"Never mind the monsters," said the soldier. "You've got to get those damned Galbadians out of here."

"Don't worry. You can count on us," said Zell, pumping his fist in the air.

Squall gave him the SeeD salute and they continued along until they reached the top of a cliff.

"We're here."

Twenty metres below them was the base of the Communication Tower. A hulking mass of steel crowned the mountain peak, covered in unlit spotlights at every storey. Rusted walls were flaking metal, and the undergrowth was starting to crawl up the sides, peeking into weathered holes. A circular metal platform sat almost at the very top, which Squall guessed was for maintenance workers.

Voices trailed up from the tower entrance. Squall and Seifer lay down, prone right at the edge. Zell bent to a low crouch right behind them. The automatic doors slid open and a guard walked out to join the present two. A breeze ruffled the plant leaves, and Squall had to strain to hear their conversation.

"The generator is up and running."

"No problem with the boosters."

Seifer turned his head. "The hell they doing?"

"Cable disconnection confirmed! Beginning exchange process."

"Roger." The soldiers saluted to each other and all three entered the tower.

"Repairs?" Squall guessed. They got up off the dusty ground, and Squall brushed the dirt off his faded uniform.

"Probably," said Seifer. He looked Squall square in the eyes. "Dollet must be your first real battle. You scared?"

"…I don't know," said Squall, surveying the entrance; anything to not be staring into those cruel blue eyes, although they weren't filled with the usual disdain this time. They might even have been glimmering with a hint of concern, if that were physically possible for Seifer. "I try not to think about it."

Seifer chuckled, making lofty gestures as he talked. "I love battles. I fear nothing. The way I look at it, as long as you make it out of a battle alive, you're one step closer to fulfilling your dream."

"What? Your dream?" Squall turned to him a little too quickly, receiving an inquisitive look. Seifer had dreams? As in, a bigger motive for life than getting into everyone else's faces and harassing Squall?

"You have one too, don't you?"

Squall looked away and crossed his arms. Himself, a dreamer? No way. Sure, Squall had aspirations. He had practical goals in mind. But to go as far as to call them dreams, that would be sad. Dreams were for the naïve, the lost, and the desperate. Dreams were the unachievable realms of the overconfident and the idealists. "…Sorry, but I'm gonna have to pass on that subject."

"Yo! Let me in on it, too!"

"Mind your own business," said Seifer.

Zell punched the air around him. "Fricken' hell."

"What's the matter, Zell? Swatting flies?" Seifer walked off, down the opposite slope they had come up from.

"Ignore him. The more you react, the more fun he has."

"Yeah, yeah."

"There you are!" The exasperated, high pitched call startled both of them, and they spun around to face a large heap of rocks leading to an even higher cliff edge. A short girl wearing the Garden uniform was doubled over on the boulders, gasping for air and clutching her knees in exhaustion. Her head bobbed up and down with each shuddering breath. She was the cadet Squall had seen earlier, and now he was really tantalized by her familiarity. He remembered her ridiculously curled hair from somewhere.

The girl took a few tentative steps forward, trying to make her way down from the rocks. She held out her hands in an effort to balance, but a false step led her teetering on the edge for a full second before tumbling down the cliff face. Her back hit a protruding rock, almost braking her fall, but it gave way and flipped down alongside her. She cried out in pain as her bare knees collided with the stone floor and her palms hit the ground. Apparently the fall had not been as painful as it seemed; the Garden student raised her head and sat back on her heels, quite unscathed. She brushed her brown hair in embarrassment and her acid green eyes welled with tears, but her grimace twisted into a smile. She gave them a shy wink and stuck out her tongue.

…_O…k…_

The girl recovered her poise and stood up. "Are you Squad B?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

Squall nodded.

"Wait a minute… You're the guy who showed me around, right?"

_Really? _Another nod.

"Thanks! I don't get so lost anymore.

"Oh yeah, I haven't told you who I am yet. Name's Selphie, from Squad A. I'm a messenger."

"I'm Squall. This is Zell."

"Nice to meet you." Selphie's expression became anxious. "Um, why are you guys here? Aren't you supposed to be down by the Central Square? I spent ages looking for you."

"Yeah," said Zell, jerking his head back. "But Mr. Ergo wanted a road trip."

"Who?"

"The squad captain. Seifer."

"Wait, are you saying you left your post without permission?" Her head swivelled between Squall and Zell who both nodded.

"But… You could be disqualified!"

"Ain't that right?" Zell glared at Squall, who did not meet his gaze. The more he thought about it, the more foolish it seemed to have taken off.

"And even if you aren't, disobeying orders is a serious offense. You'll be penalized for sure."

Squall didn't want to think about it. "There isn't much we can do now. We might as well continue."

"So where exactly is this Seifer guy?" A patter of footsteps approached from the clearing below. Everyone turned to the blond, who was running toward the door. Squall pointed at him, and he shouted up to the group, apparently unaware of Selphie's presence.

"One of these days, I'm gonna tell ya 'bout my ROMANTIC dream!" He charged through the tower entrance, which welcomed him in like an old friend.

"Is… is he alright?"

"He's always like that," said Zell, rolling his eyes.

Selphie gave an absent nod and turned toward the tower, exhaling loudly. "This sure is tough." She ran forward and jumped off the cliff. Her voice trailed behind her as she called out. "Captain! Wait up!"

Zell ran up beside Squall, and they watched as she performed a perfect roll. "Hole-y shit. She's insane."

"What are you waiting for?" called the bounding girl. "Come on, come on!"

Squall walked closer to the edge, but Zell grabbed his arm. "No, you can't. You aren't gonna…"

"No, I'm not." They walked down the path Seifer had taken, reaching Selphie about half a minute later. She was bobbing up and down with her arms folded.

"What took you so long? It would've been much quicker if you'd just jumped."

"Much quicker? Pu-lease. You wouldn't normally jump off a cliff, okay? Ain't that right, Squall?"

_Why ask me? _"…Yeah, I guess so."

Selphie crossed her arms. "Hmmm… I don't know. Well, anyway." She looked as though she wanted to say something, but she held her silence. "Well, let's get going. Everyone still has their GFs equipped?"

The boys nodded and they approached the industrial door.

"This thing sure is big," said Selphie.

"Why are the Galbadians here anyway?" asked Zell. "Not like this thing is worth anything to them. Maybe they're just trying to use it as a base?"

Squall frowned; Zell had made a good point. Why _were_ they camping out at the tower?

There was a yell from inside followed by a bang, but before anyone could react, the grilles slid open and a pair of Galbadian soldiers sprinted away. Seifer followed, hot on their heels, swinging his gunblade in a riot. "Cowards."

Selphie opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. She frowned with her lips still parted, shifting her eyes onto Squall, then Zell. Seifer did not seem to notice her. He ran back into the building, and they heard another automatic door close somewhere in the darkness.

Zell waited for his footsteps to vanish before continuing. "Like I said, he's always like that."

"Right… Well, the captain's getting away!"

The door remained open, suspended by their motion. They walked into the dark, circular hallway and waited for their eyes to adjust before moving. Squall squinted around and saw that the walls were lined with metal panels. Cables and wires wound through gaps in the metal frames, and the perforated floor revealed several more slithering bundles. A mechanical hum was coming from the centre, as though someone was operating a machine.

_Where'd he go?_

Their boots echoed along the steel floors as they made their way around. They walked in a full circle before realizing they were stuck at the perimeter. Selphie clasped her hands behind her back and stared at the inner wall. "How do we get in?"

They doubled around and found a discrete sliding door, but it did not open. Zell skimmed the partition with his hands. His gloved fingers passed along the smooth metal until they hit a groove. He dug his fingers under and popped open the cover of a dimly lit panel, its message flashing constantly.

INSERT ID

Selphie sighed. "But we don't have ID."

"Hold on," said Squall, turning to Zell. "Remember that card you found with the soldier?"

"Oh. Right." He rummaged in his pocket and extracted the scan pass.

Squall hoped it would do. He didn't want to wait there until Seifer had had his fun. Eyeing the panel, Zell found a slot and jammed the card in.

PLEASE WAIT…

PLEASE WAIT…

"I don't wanna wait," he muttered, crossing his arms. The card was ejected.

ACCESS GRANTED

"Alright! We're in." They walked into a circular metal chamber, bare except for a small, central lift. It was just a sheet of metal; no railings to fence in passengers. The platform was halfway down, moving slowly to the ground. Its motor was exposed, and now they knew where the humming had originated. Behind it was a rickety cylindrical cage. A column of poles led down into a black pit and shot up to the dark ceiling, reinforced by rusty metal rings. Squall thought it looked a bit like an elevator shaft. To its right was a glowing pool of yellow, embraced by purple streamers.

"Oooh, I call the Draw Point!" Selphie ran up to the fountain and held out her hand. The lights swirled into her palm, and she was surrounded briefly by a lavender aura. "Tee-hee!"

"Where the hell's Seifer?" Zell walked around them in a circle, shaking his head.

"Did he go up? Hey, Squad B captain!" Selphie shouted at the top of her lungs. She was answered only by her echo.

The lift came to a stop beside them, and the mechanical humming ceased. Selphie looked at Squall. "Wanna go up?"

"I guess. No point staying here." They ambled onto the lift, barely large enough to contain the three of them. It jolted to life, ascending spontaneously as the floor fell further and further under their ride.

"Wow, this lift is pretty cool!"

"Don't get too excited or you'll fall," said Zell.

"Like I'm really going to…"

The walls grew dark as they rose. Squall could barely see the whites of Zell's eyes. A hole materialized at the top, shining a thin sliver of dusk onto the lift and revealing the firmament. The pink edge of a cloud gave way to a periwinkle sky.

_Why the hell did Seifer have to go up? We're already in trouble._

The crevice widened; they were getting closer to the summit.

_If he isn't there, I'm gonna kill him._

"Yah!" A loud clunk shook the whole tower. Selphie, who had been adjusting her boot in the air, stumbled into Zell, almost pushing him off the edge. He stole a fistful of Squall's jacket trimming, and Squall in turn seized the guide rail.

"What was that?" Deep vibrations streamed through their bodies. A series of mechanical clicks were followed by the grinding of gears, their echoes menacingly close in the metal chamber. The air grew heavy.

Zell stood still, frowning slightly in concentration. "I gotta feeling that something real bad's about to happen…"

"Aw, don't think like that," said Selphie. "You're gonna jinx it." The rumbling grew louder and louder. Squall's eyes scoped their vicinity.

"Argh!" Four rows of blinding, fluorescent panels burst into life along the walls, followed by another string of tantalizing blue gleams. Squall winced and shielded his eyes with his hand. More mechanical noises resonated along the metal tower. They were now so close to the top Squall could hear voices.

"…goes like this, and… Geez, what's with these crappy old tools? And… And… Why do I have to make all of the repairs?"

"Sir, I'll check around while you're working."

Squall finally made out the source of the rumbling. His watering eyes widened at the sight below. A torpedo the size of a train car was accelerating out of the pit. Squall leapt up and snatched the edge of the maintenance platform, hoisting himself onto the floor before their ride had stopped. He was greeted with a blast of wind, ruffling his hair over his eyes. Zell followed his lead, while Selphie, who was shorter, had to wait a few seconds before her hand could grasp the rafters. They found themselves fifty metres in the air; Squall could trace their path all the way back from the Central Square, through the winding roads and miniature parkettes, but there was no time for sight-seeing.

"The hell's goin' on?"

Several small satellites were spaced along their platform. Squall noticed an open utility bag splayed beside a dish, its contents spilling out. Violent trembles coaxed a wrench further and further away from the bag. The jaws inched over a metal beam, and with a soft chink, they dragged the whole tool down the gap. Squall thought he heard a distant clang as it hit the side of the tower. Peering through the holes in the floor, he noticed three large prongs, like giant balustrades, clicking into place on the tower wall. They began to rotate.

"Um, guys…" The lights on the building's exterior had turned on. Selphie pointed at the giant cage in the centre as several bulbs faded into life, pulsing like a lighthouse beacon. The central pit was growing brighter and brighter. Squall was reminded of Ifrit's chamber and how it had teemed with brilliance right before the Guardian made his appearance.

"There, it's complete!" The rough voice made them all spin around. They stood a few metres away from the back of a red-clad Galbadian soldier, whom nobody had noticed. He was overseeing a giant power box, crackling so intensely with energy Squall feared it was about to explode. What sounded like a cannon went off right behind him, and he whipped around again.

A metal cylinder supported by a massive motor blasted into the sky like a bullet out of a barrel. It slid to a stop as it reached the tip of the tower, alerting the world of its presence in red lights. Squall had to crane his neck straight up to keep it in sight. The cylinder split vertically into three portions, spreading open like flower petals to reveal a massive set of antennae, which continued to raise as each aerial slanted away from the group. The layered sides flattened out into a disc, and each wedge curved up into what was finally recognizable as a monumental satellite dish. The tips of the sensors began to glow blue, sparking furiously into white streaks. Within moments, a beam of blinding light was reflecting off the dish and into the soft, pastel sky.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I don't have much to say about this chapter. As usual, I didn't like the battle. How's Selphie so far? Her intro was a pain, but I think it turned out quite nicely, save for a few sentences that might seem disjointed. Also, I kept the Scan text because nobody answered my question earlier about what to do with it.


	8. Never Look Back

**A/N:** Haven't updated in a while, though I blame music theory exams for the recent absence.

If you didn't know, those attack formations are paradigms from FFXIII. And yeah, I added them to liven up the battles, so they wouldn't all end up following the same formula.

The previous chapter has seen major renovations so if you haven't looked at that yet, I encourage you to.

* * *

><p>"What do you think you're doing?" Squall stepped out from behind Selphie, addressing the Elite Soldier. The man started around, behaving as though they had caught him in an act of indecency.<p>

"Huh? Likewise, mister. What do you think _you're _doing?" He backed up defensively, but the cadets surrounded him against the power box, one on each side. "H-Hey! What happened to all the soldiers down below?" He held out his right hand to point at Squall, and it was only then that Squall noticed the other had been replaced with a gun. "Wedge, take care of these twerps!"

Nothing happened. Squall put his hands on his hips. "W-Wedge?" The man turned to Zell, who glared at him as though he was a misbehaving toddler. He looked at Selphie, who shifted her weight and clasped her hands behind her back, eyebrows raised. "I…ah… Well… ah… I'm armed! So stay away or you'll be sorry. I seem to be done here, so I'll just be on my…" The soldier dropped his poor act and practically begged at them. "I – I'm leaving! Move it! Move! Move!" He stepped sideways, cringing and avoiding eye contact as though afraid they might kill him with their stares. Squall wondered whether they should attack or allow him to pass, but Seifer appeared out of nowhere. He ran at the soldier with Hyperion, and sliced off a metal plate on his shoulder.

"Sorry to crash the party."

The soldier was trembling with fear. "Ah… Ahhh… AHHHHH! Are you _crazy_?"

"Just shut up." Seifer sheathed his sword, but the Galbadian made a sudden lunging movement. Seifer limbered back as the others sprang into action. Squall extracted Revolver and immediately Drew. Selphie took out an enormous pair of nunchaku, its chain stretching longer than her body. She spun in a circle and let go of a red handle which shot elastically at her target, smacking him in the helmet and dropping him to the ground.

"All right, that's it. It's full throttle with Major Biggs!" The soldier lifted a cover on his arm and opened fire, laughing manically, whether out of fear or vindictive pleasure Squall didn't know. Major Biggs jumped back to his feet and sprayed the rafters with bullets. The Garden students ducked and rolled. Squall felt a couple graze his leg which seized up, but Ifrit stirred within, lessening their impact.

"Yo! Behind that!" Zell pointed to the electricity box, and they scrambled around it. Squall knew the soldier would not dare shoot that way.

"Hiding, huh?" Squall edged over to the side and peered out from behind the structure, but immediately withdrew his head as a shower of projectiles shot toward him. "You SeeDs aren't the only ones with magic anymore." There was an odd shimmering sound and Squall couldn't resist a quick peek. Blue sparks had materialized around Biggs, and with the extension of both arms, he directed a giant bolt of lightning behind the box. Everyone cried out as the crackling energy swept through their bodies, coursing the entire tower.

_What the? Para-magic?_

The man remained unaffected by his own spell, even as the arc of electricity spread below his feet. Squall and Selphie fell out from their places and sprinted to find new cover. Biggs cackled madly, his cowardly manner abandoned now that he had the upper hand. "Didn't you read the sign? Proper footwear must be worn at all times!"

Squall and Selphie ended up behind adjacent pillars supporting the main satellite. Squall Drew again, while Selphie brought together the gold-embellished rods of her Flail in a shower of green and blue. She formed a 'Z' shape with her weapon, curling a leg back. "Water." A small azure pool bubbled up from the ground, floating magically over the steel beams. It splashed up violently and encased the soldier, who fell over and gave a muffled, drowning cry. He shot wildly through his liquid prison. Zell and Seifer ran out from their cover, attempting an assault, but the water vanished and their movements were deterred by a new hail of bullets. They fell back again, only to the appearance of another blue soldier at the lift.

"Major Biggs! Have you finished the repairs, sir?" It took him a while to realize something was wrong. "What is the enemy doing here!"

"Wedge, where were you!" said Biggs, jumping to his feet. "No pay for you this month!"

Wedge grumbled something that sounded like "Should've stayed home," but took out his sword nevertheless. Seifer's voice bellowed over the wind as the soldiers advanced.

"Girl! You're in support! Delta Attack!" Their roles were set. Squall and Seifer rushed at Wedge while Selphie conjured another wall of water to disable Biggs. Zell stood on standby, waiting for Biggs to come crashing down. He decided to Draw from the other soldier, crossing his arms and bending his knees. Squall dodged a swipe from Wedge and Seifer struck from behind, puncturing his armour. Wedge skidded forward and turned his blunder into a charge at Squall, who was not expecting it. He slammed into him and continued running, pushing Squall dangerously close to the edge. Squall struggled to heave back, but his late reaction left him powerless. All he could do was grab a hold of his opponent as they both ran to the treacherous brink. Seifer clawed at Wedge, pulling both of them back, but Wedge gave Squall's chest a mighty thrust kick, and he stumbled off the rafters.

"Squall!" All three shouts reached his ears, but there was nothing he could do.

Squall tossed Revolver into the air as he began to fall. His sword landed back on the edge, but his fingers missed the metal bars. He plunged headfirst in a cold sweat, unable to see below him. Squall twisted around in mid-air and flailed his limbs desperately, watching colourful streaks of lights fly up. The shaky ground loomed ever closer. He felt an impact on his right hand, and reflexively grabbed onto a ledge. His rapid halt almost forced his hand loose, but he managed to grip the beam with his left. Hoisting an arm up to steady his trembling body, he took a deep breath. Squall checked himself and realized he had fallen onto one of the three triangular balustrades, no longer spinning. The tip where he had grabbed it was only a few inches wide. He shuffled his fingers along slowly, swaying precariously in the wind. Soon he could lift himself up, and he lay down on his stomach, too pressured to move. He was unimaginably thankful for wearing gloves; his bare, sweaty fingers would have slipped past the bar to his death.

"Squall!" Selphie had left her post and run to the edge.

"I'm fine!"

"Oh my god!" She turned back to the others with an ear-splitting squeal. "He's alive!"

Alive he was, but lying on the edge of a shaft halfway down the tower wasn't going to help anyone. Trying not to listen to the grunts and clatter of bullets on metal, Squall withdrew a foot and slowly pushed himself forward like an inchworm. He continued until he was confident enough to stand.

_Now what?_

Squall considered his options as he forced his heart rate to slow, practicing the breathing exercises he had been taught for junctioning. He could either sit there and wait, or he could attempt to get back up. Waiting there would be hopeless; nobody would be able to rescue him, and he certainly wasn't going to be caught stranded there by Garden supervisors. His only choice was to climb.

Scaling the exterior proved to be easier than he would have thought. Multiple light fixtures served as hand grips, while he was able to plant his feet on grooves in the metal. It was more of a mental battle than a physical one. Squall tried not to look at the solid, unforgiving ground but it drew his eyes every step of the way. Whenever he glanced at the pavement below, he would feel as though the whole tower was lurching, and half of him would beg to let go. He tried to stuff these obstructive urges, thinking of how glad he would be to graduate.

There was a particularly tricky section in which he had to make a flying leap to a spotlight some distance away, but he succeeded, snatching the metal bracket it rested on. The brittle metal started to crack, and he almost died right then of panic, but he grappled onto the next fixture, his legs dangling weightlessly in the atmosphere. Soon he was right below the maintenance platform. He tried to grab the bottom of the rafters but the metal beams were too far up. Biggs was standing above him, slightly to the right, firing ammunition unremorsefully at the cadets. Squall scoped the area for another ledge or light, but he could not find one, nor could he back down from his position.

_Great. I'm stuck. _Squall's attention was diverted to the combatants nearby: Selphie and Wedge were having an all-out duel. He was amazed with the grace which the small girl handled her weapon with. Unable to strike properly at such a close range, Selphie used one end of her nunchaku as a shield, brandishing the other like a club. She switched their roles on the fly, blocking and striking with one, then following up with the other in a crippling combo. Squall attempted to help her, casting a Fire spell upon Wedge. It was hard to manage from his position, but he shot a small burst of flame at the soldier, sending him stumbling back. Big mistake.

Biggs whipped around and glared down through the platform. Spotting Squall, he grinned and pointed his gun-arm at the cadet's forehead.

There was nothing Squall could do but jump. He tensed his legs and pushed off from the wall as a hail of bullets flew over his face. For what seemed like a minute, he soared through the air, bending his head back from the lethal shower and reaching out blindly for support. But he hadn't jumped high enough.

It was like falling into cold water. As soon as he began to lose momentum, his brain shut down and plunged his body into an unfeeling void. The tips of his fingers were microns away, but they could not clutch onto anything. He hovered at the height of his jump for too long, the world taunting him as it planted false hopes in his brain. Why was he still there? Why wasn't he falling? It was only then that he noticed a great gust of wind raging through the air. It was so strong, it countered his weight. His fingers touched cold steel and embraced it, pulling the rest of his body up with ease.

_Contact._

Above him, Squall saw Zell attempt to charge at Biggs, but the wind carried both of them off their feet. The gust stopped as suddenly as it had started, and Squall's legs swung down unexpectedly, sending another surge of adrenaline as he almost let go. The combatants above all regained their ground. Wedge ran in front of his superior, covering him from harm. Zell jumped back up and made for another assault, but a wall of moving air hit them yet again. Squall was no longer hanging onto the platform to avoid falling, but to prevent himself from being swept away entirely.

Selphie screamed as she began to rise. She grabbed onto the central, cylindrical frame as her legs were pulled into the air, and Seifer and Zell half-ran, half-flew toward the power box, each seizing a thick cable.

"W-What's happening?" Biggs and Wedge made the exact same mistake; Wedge grabbed a hold of Biggs, and Biggs latched himself onto Wedge. The wind levitated both of them, and in one fluid movement, they were hurled through the sky and off of the tower. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

The wind died out, and Zell, Seifer, and Selphie fell to the ground. They walked toward each other, forming a circle around Squall, still stuck beneath the metal bars. Selphie gave him an agitated look. "Can you get up?"

"Yeah. I'll just climb to the edge and –" Squall stopped talking mid-sentence. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open. The other three gave him a questioning look and turned to the sky.

An enormous, snarling monster was flying above them, descending rapidly to where they stood. Its head was similar to that of a duck, with a long orange bill and beady eyes glaring down in vain. Its neck connected to a purple, humanoid frame, but the torso turned into a crusty brown abdomen, tapering into a vile stinger.

Squall scrambled along the underside of the platform. He did not want to be caught completely vulnerable.

"This doesn't look too good…" Selphie moaned, backing away. The beast flapped its red, bat-like wings to slow itself down, wavering a few metres off the platform.

"Think we can run for it?" asked Zell.

"You probably should. Looks like it eats chickens."

"Shut your mouth!"

Seifer raised his sword at the hissing creature. "Run if you want to. I'm not backing down. Scouting party!" He Scanned the hybrid without delay.

_Elvoret_

_Savingdata._

"What the hell? There's no Scan description."

"What d'you… MEAN?" asked Selphie, turning her sentence into a yell as a stinger came shooting through the air. She dropped to the floor, almost hitting her chin on her knee.

"There's only a name!"

"Ah, whatever," said Zell. "Let's take it."

Squall had finally reached the edge of the platform. Throwing himself onto the surface, he rolled over to Revolver, exhausted from his climb. Elvoret gave a great roar and swiped at Zell with its claws. Zell did a backflip and ran forward for an attack, but Seifer ordered another paradigm. "Diversity!"

Zell met Seifer in front of the lift. Together they charged, but Elvoret flew away. Squall called for Quetzalcoatl. "Thunder." He turned his palm from his face to the monster, and a streak of lightning flew at its head. Elvoret flinched and dived at Selphie tail-first. She stepped behind one of the larger satellites, which the monster perforated easily. It wrenched the whole thing off of its supports and struggled to shake it away. Zell took advantage of the monster's distracted state. His whole body glowed red, and he made a supernatural leap onto its back. Elvoret snarled and twisted about, now trying to shake off two nuisances. Zell delivered a series of rapid punches around its back and neck, and Squall knew he was searching for pressure points. The monster raised its hands and attempted to extract Zell, but he sprang onto the satellite dish, still stuck on its stinger, and shot his glowing fist at its chest. Elvoret stumbled back in the air and Zell bounded off. Squall followed up with another Thunder spell. Selphie, whose role of medic was currently useless, started to Draw. She crossed the handles of Flail into an 'X' as enormous Pyreflies swarmed her body.

"Hold on," she said, frowning. "I can sense something weird!"

Elvoret flapped its great wings, and within moments had soared half the height of the tower. It flung its tail down and the satellite shot at Seifer, who clubbed it away like a baseball with the broad end of his sword. The monster sucked in a huge breath of air, its chest expanding like a balloon.

"Everyone grab something!" A moment later it unleashed a pool of white air, and as it passed over them, Squall's body was tossed up. He almost lost his grip on the girders, relying on Ifrit's junctioned strength to keep him anchored. Once the hurricane had passed, he retaliated by Drawing. It took a tremendous effort, but the energy he absorbed was exhilarating, plunging him into an ecstatic fit. And yet there was something strange about it, just as Selphie had said. He felt a secondary presence, as though the beast was sharing its existence.

Elvoret had flown down again, and was hovering over Selphie. She casted a Water spell, but instead of materializing on the ground, the fluid formed at the base of its abdomen and soaked upwards. Elvoret twitched as it struggled to breathe. It spun rapidly in the air, flinging water all around and drenching Squall. He followed up with Ifrit this time, causing magical flames to burst into life on its torso.

Elvoret roared and beat its wings, lifting itself higher into the air. A cascade of green and a swirl of blue shocked everyone. It raised its talons and pointed them down at Squall. Dreamy white ribbons surrounded him, tinged with chromatic borders. They contracted into his body and disappeared, leaving a curious white bubble over his head. The bubble vanished as quickly as it had formed. Squall felt something shift in his mind, as though his brain had been soundproofed, but apart from that, nothing seemed to have happened.

"What?" said Selphie. "It can cast magic?"

And then Squall realized the obvious answer. "It's junctioned to a GF!" he tried to say, but no sound came out. He tried again, but his vocal chords would not respond.

His teammates went on fighting, and Squall was left mute and useless. He was Silenced, as he knew from his Battle Guide, which rendered him unable to speak or converse his thoughts; without a voice he could not cast magic or communicate at all with his GFs. He ran over to Selphie, who was on standby, tapping her shoulder incessantly.

"What?"

Squall pointed at his throat, and mouthed the words "I'm Silenced." For a moment, she did not react. And then her face lit up. Ducking under a beam, she reached into her waist pack and pulled out a maroon drawstring pouch, tossing it to Squall. He wrenched it open and took a pinch of the crushed echo herb. The dried plant was bitter and numbed his tongue, but his mind was no longer fogged, and he immediately regained his voice.

"It's got a GF!"

"_What_?" Zell stopped, halfway through casting a spell.

"We need to Draw it out!"

"But we're never gonna defeat this thing!"

"I'm not missing out on a GF!" yelled Seifer. "Group cast: Fire!" Squall and Zell followed Seifer's lead, Zell somewhat reluctantly. Together they concentrated, and three infernos scorched the head, thorax, and abdomen in unison. Elvoret shrieked and charged at them. Zell and Seifer shot away, but Squall wasn't so lucky. Elvoret's claws swiped through his body, and he was tossed carelessly onto the lift. Pain seared through his chest as the elevator began to move down. Once again, he hung onto the ledge, clawing his way back into battle in anguish. Ignoring the blood running down his blazer, Squall struggled to his feet.

"Potion?" Squall shook his head at Selphie's offer. He wasn't aiming for a salvation. Elvoret inhaled deeply and unleashed another Storm Breath. Squall clung to the metal beams behind him for dear life, almost completely devoid of stamina. And then he felt what he was looking for. A surge of power rippled through his skin, seeping into every tendon and fibre. Just as it had been during his battle with Seifer, all of his hairs stood on end. His spine tingled, sending shivers around his body; his chest heaved with exhilaration. The feeling gave him such a wondrous rush; he could never put it into words. Squall sprang up and held his sword vertically, gripping the back of the forte. Dramatic gold streaks burst away from his body as he initiated his Limit Break. The others scrambled for cover.

_Renzokuken_

Elvoret winged towards him, but Squall leapt forward, bringing Revolver back in a blue swish. His body turned bright red, as though Berserked again. He flew into the air and smashed Revolver on Elvoret's head, pulling the trigger and sending shockwaves through its body. Another grand slam pounded Elvoret to the ground in a burst of red light. Squall followed with three relentless blows to its wings and torso, adding an electrifying tremor each time. He ended by cleaving through its abdomen in a bright explosion of colour. Squall felt his energy leave him, and he landed beside his teammates, crouching low on the ground. He ignored a high five from Zell, but gladly accepted the Potion Selphie handed him.

"Careful!" Seifer pointed Hyperion at Elvoret, who was twitching oddly. It convulsed repeatedly, holding its hands to its face. And then a burst of light shot out from its side, joined by another one from its head. The monster was exploding in a fiery mess. It crumpled to the ground and lay still. Squall stared at it, panting and sweating, trying to drink the Potion through gasps of air.

"That was awesome! Let's get that GF, then!" said Selphie.

"Hold on…" panted Squall, who was still recovering from the action. He leveraged Revolver to pull himself back up.

"And how exactly do you do that?" said Zell.

"Easy," she replied. "You hold your Draw pose, and you keep trying until you finally get it out."

They all did as she said, but nothing happened.

"Keep going," she coaxed, grimacing with the effort of keeping all her muscles tensed. Squall felt rather stupid and incompetent, stepping with his palm out and receiving nothing from the carcass. They looked as though they were in a tableau, motionless in dramatic poses. Then, very slowly, a gold orb rose out of Elvoret. It was brighter and larger than any Pyrefly; a miniature star. It detached itself from the body, and with a sudden jerk, it soared across the air and was engulfed by Selphie. She let out a small gasp, as if surprised that it had chosen her, though by then the others had all given up. Then she smiled. "Booyaka!"

"Er, what?"

"Oh, nothing. Just a new word I'm trying to spread. Hey, the GF's name is Siren. I've read about her in class! Oh, but the Garden'll be mad if I keep her junctioned before they can check her." She grudgingly reversed the junctioning process and ended up with a gold thread in her hand, sparkling in the absence of proper lighting.

Seifer turned away and tapped his sword on his back just as a flash of red erupted behind them. Elvoret's form slowly disintegrated, rising into the air as glittering purple dust.

"Oh, I've completely forgotten," said Selphie, jumping over a grate to land beside Seifer. "Squad B captain? S'cuse me, I have new orders."

Seifer turned to her with a rather derisive expression. They stared at each other for a second and he gestured for her to continue.

She cleared her throat. "All SeeD members and SeeD candidates are to withdraw at 19:00, Dollet Standard Time. Assemble at the Lapin Beach shore!"

"Withdraw? There are still enemies around!"

"I know, but I'm just a messenger."

Squall interfered. "An order to withdraw takes priority. I don't want to miss the vessel." Zell nodded intently in agreement.

"…What time did you say?"

Selphie sighed. "Like I said, all SeeD members and SeeD candidates are to withdraw at 19:00, Dollet Standard Time. Assemble at the Lapin Beach shore!"

"Nineteen hours," he muttered, walking away from his squad. "We only have twenty minutes!" Turning back to his teammates, he announced, "You got twenty minutes to get down to the shore. Better run!" With that he crossed the platform, jumped onto the lift, and left them stranded at the top.

"Heeey! Wait for us!" Selphie leapt back over the grate and ran after him, but he had descended too far for her to board.

"Have fun!"

Zell gave Squall an incredulous look. "Who the hell does he think he is?"

"Why don't you ask him? Let's go." They crowded around the lift and waited for it to come back up. Squall checked his map. "Nineteen minutes left. Can we make it?"

"Well," said Selphie, "it took me about half an hour to run here from my post, so if we sprint _really _fast, we'll make it. Or if we could fly, that would be great, too."

"In other words," said Zell, "we're screwed."

"Yup. But we might as well try."

"We have the car," Squall added, hoping against hope that Seifer would not drive off with it.

"Yeah, but I think Seifer's gonna have a fit if he has to wait for us."

"It's our only chance."

Squall surveyed the landscape before they got on. His eyes flitted over the vast, iron-laden mountains peaked with snowy caps, passed over the rocky plateaus, plunging off jagged cliffs, adorned here and there with a purple wildflower. But he could not appreciate anything at the moment. He now had two issues pressing on his mind. If they didn't fail their exam for disobeying orders, they would fail it because they did not return in time.

_And all because of Seifer…_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** That's the last major fight scene you will see for a long while. Possibly the last until the end of disc one. So I hope you liked it.


	9. Dead End

**A/N:** I have to remember that just because I've written everything doesn't mean it's posted already...

Prepare for the finale, the showdown of this series of updates!

* * *

><p>Major Biggs woke up lying on top of a cliff. His body was bruised and battered and he could not feel his legs. It took him all the effort he could muster to lift himself off of his stomach. He struggled to raise an arm and clawed his way forward, moving a metre a minute. He wondered where Wedge was, and whether he had survived the fall. As the soldier pulled a metal plate off his gun-arm, little black stars burst into his vision. He became light-headed and almost lost consciousness again, but he knew he could not afford to pass out just yet. Grimacing, he drilled his fingers onto the exposed keypad of his shoulder, resting his forehead against the inside of his elbow. Soft beeps tolled from the register with each click.<p>

"Those little twerps are the target," he grumbled. He lifted himself onto his knees and raised a fist. With a thunderous scream that shook the birds out of the trees, he yelled "Now GO! And destroy them!" before collapsing face-first onto the rust-tinged gravel.

* * *

><p>The fluorescent panels had remained on, and so their ride back down was much brighter. Squall watched the shadows flicker over his boots, darkening and then vanishing. He resisted the urge to check the time every half-minute, choosing instead to count the light panels. <em>One… Two… Three… <em>He gave up immediately after realizing that they passed by precisely once a second. Squall hated standing still. There was nothing he could do about it, but it made him feel as though he was slacking off. Their lift clambered to a stop, but they had jumped away before it touched the ground. The group ran off, Zell in the lead; out the door and around the hallway. The main entrance slid open and they stepped out into the setting sun's light.

"Fuck." Zell summarized everyone's thoughts in one elegant word. A black, robotic spider loomed over them, blocking their path. Where its eyes would have been was a black screen. A red laser flashed across it like a windshield wiper, scanning their figures and locking onto their presence. The robot snapped its pincers menacingly and drove its limbs forward with a hiss from the pistons. The cadets scattered.

Squall tried to run up the cliff they had come from, but the spider was faster. With legs three times longer than his body, it covered the distance in a few strides, meeting him as the ground began to slope. They were stuck. If they fought against it, they would surely run out of time, and yet he could see no way to escape. The black robot shepherded them back to the tower, clicking giant forceps with the air of a butcher. Zell continued to unleash an endless chain of curses, and Squall had a strong urge to shut him up, one way or another.

"Dammit. The hell are we gonna do?"

"Does it look like we have a choice?"

"Bummer. And I thought we could've had a nice stroll."

The spider reared and extended its front leg like a projectile. Selphie twisted to the side, and it stabbed into the metal tower with a bang, leaving jagged cracks in the wall.

"Scouting party!" Squall took over Seifer's role as leader, Scanning the robot.

_X-ATM092_

_Galbadia's newest mobile attack weapon, AKA "Black Widow." Features impressive suspension systems that allow it to survive perilous jumps. Doesn't stop until it kills all enemies in its path. Capable of self-repair. Mechanical._

"Aggression!" Squall focused his concentration and sent a crackling bolt of lightning zipping through the sky. It discharged through the Black Widow, which shuddered and jerked. Zell took a running leap and grappled onto the giant spider. It ignored him and advanced on Squall, almost impaling him with its steel leg. Zell threw a heavy punch to the Black Widow's back, but the material did not respond, rejecting the blow with a metallic glance. He tried again with Ifrit's help, but his fist left a mere dent as the spider continued its attempts to trample the cadets. Squall approached its head, looking for a chance to strike, but the robot snapped at him with its pincers, pushing him into the doorway. As the grilles behind him slid open, Squall retreated into the dark shelter of the building, sidestepping a leg projectile which sank into the metal rafters.

Edging along the wall, Squall prepared to sprint out from the doorway. He heard a yelp from Zell, followed by a heavy thud. Squall dashed through the open doorframe and ended up right under the robot. He shot Revolver vertically through the Black Widow's belly, but was knocked down, almost crushed, as it lurched into the ground. Revolver clanged to a rest beside him.

"You okay?"

"Yeah!" came Squall's muffled yell. He heard a burst of flame shoot above him, and the spider stumbled off. Scrambling to retrieve his sword, Squall withdrew and launched a Thunder spell at the same time a large pool frothed up below the robot. It convulsed and trembled as his bolt connected and Selphie's spell burst into a shower of liquid.

"Nice one," Zell yelled as he hooked a sensitive joint with his foot.

"Tri-disaster!" said Squall. Like an assembly line, they began a relentless spew of magic, conjuring flaming bubbles, electrifying burns, and shocking splashes. The giant spider gave a beastly roar and collapsed at last onto the worn, brown tiles in a scraping heap of metal debris. Zell turned immediately to Squall.

"Time?"

"It's… 18:48."

"Shit."

"Bummer."

"If we hurry, we can still make it. As long as Seifer didn't…"

"He wouldn't, would he?" Selphie looked rather hopelessly toward Squall and Zell, which seemed to confirm her fear. She started to walk back along the path. "If… If we're stranded here…"

"Aw, gawd. I can't believe this is happening, damn it!"

"Less talk, more walk! Hurry up." They set off at a slow run, up the ramp onto the cliff Selphie had braved. "Wait! What's that sound?"

Squall turned to the Communication Tower, looking for the source of the clicks and beeps. The buzz of a motor drew his eyes down to X-ATM092, from which a billow of steam was rising. The red scanner suddenly reappeared, flashing across its screen. The robot moved one hind leg, and then the other. It slowly raised itself to a standing position, all the while cranking like a car jack.

"Huh?" Zell stomped the ground, doing a double take. "Is it repairing itself?" He looked at Squall, who knew he was right.

"Nothing to do but run for it."

"Then let's get the hell outta here!" The Black Widow had taken a few tentative steps forward, and now it began to walk in earnest, making its way speedily up their road. The cadets dashed away. They sprinted down the steep slope, stumbling and tripping across the flagstones. The floor shook violently and Squall lost his balance. He tumbled down the path, but managed to turn his fall into a roll, narrowly missing a spiked plant that had crept onto the pavement.

They reached the stairs, a nightmare nobody wanted to manoeuvre. Squall cycled his legs, but he descended at a measly rate. He lengthened his stride, skipping a step for each that he took, but the robot was still faster. He could hear its crushing footfalls crawling closer, rumbling the ground with each tread. As they sped down what felt like the tenth set of stairs, Squall felt a pincer hit his back, propelling him ahead, but causing him to lose his rhythm. He completed the staircase haphazardly, his heart trembling as he varied his strides to accommodate his abrupt acceleration.

_4-3-4-4-3-3-2-3._

He and Zell were neck and neck, sweating wildly as they sprinted, swinging their arms like windmills to keep balance. Selphie seemed to be a legendary stair-scaler; she was a full flight ahead of them. A pincer tried to grab Zell, swinging in from the side, but he abandoned his running and took a flying leap. Squall followed suit and they both landed out of a roll. They decided to ditch their pitiful clambering and continued to simply jump and roll.

"He's… not… there…" Selphie panted, gasping for breath between each word. She was right. As Squall flipped through the air, the clearing they had parked at came into view and his heart sank. It was deserted. Somersaulting to a halt, he tore up the road, his body flooded with exhaust and despair.

_What's the point in running now? We're screwed._

The trees and rocks surrounding them vanished. Their trail turned into handsome, paved asphalt. They were back on the bridge. Squall could see the pink water rippling below and the blood red sun, almost about to sink below the horizon. Blue guards still flanked the sides. As the trio came into sight, the soldiers rearranged themselves into a roadblock. Squall had no desire to stop running and be speared or trampled or whatever by a metal skewer, and neither did Zell or Selphie. They drew their weapons, preparing to force their way through the crowd. But then the Black Widow appeared.

The army members scattered in a flurry of yells. They seemed more fearful of their own weapon than the cadets did. Throwing themselves onto the sidelines, the guards froze in place, all standing stiff as a board. Squall rushed by, glad he didn't have to fight. The spider approached, shaking the pavement and sending trembles through Squall's bones. A mighty lurch came from behind him and a shadow flickered overhead. He looked up to see the bottom of the black robot, soaring ten metres above him. Squall took an extensive stride and slammed his foot into the ground, tumbling into a long-step halt. Zell and Selphie mimicked his technique. As the spider turned around, the soldiers behind them resealed their blockade. They were trapped yet again. Squall didn't see a way out. X-ATM092 had one end of the bridge covered and the Galbadians had the other. They stood impeded in the middle. The Black Widow drove its legs forcefully into the asphalt, clambering across the bridge. It rumbled loudly as it neared, and the cadets backed into each other, ready to fight. The rumbling grew louder and louder, and with the roar of a car engine, a Galbadian military vehicle shot past the spider. Squall looked into the window at the driver's seat, and green eyes flashed back at him from an arrogant face, framed with cropped, blond hair.

The speeding grey van fishtailed to a halt beside them and the passenger door burst open. "Get your asses in here! We're goin' back to Besaid!" Selphie hurdled into the armoured car, and Zell didn't even argue as he leapt aboard. Seifer slammed on the pedal, and Squall, who had one foot in the vehicle, had to grab onto the roof mount to prevent himself from falling out. He swung himself beside Zell and slammed the door shut. They all swarmed around front seats, but none of them were calm enough to sit.

"Go, go, faster, faster!" yelled Selphie pounding a fist against the headrest as Seifer rocketed toward the soldier blockade, breaking it up in an instant. They were heading in the wrong direction, back toward the tower, but there wasn't much they could do with X-ATM092 on their heels.

"We've gotta get it to jump again," said Zell.

Selphie stared wrathfully at the rear-view mirror, as though hoping the ferocity of her gaze would startle it into submission.

_What if I…?_

"I've got a plan," said Squall. "Just play along, alright? Turn the car when I jump." He ran back to the door and flung it open. A blast of wind whipped his hair back and roared deafeningly through his ears, but he noticed neither disturbance. He jumped out and bowled onto the pavement, ignoring Selphie's scream as it trailed faintly after him.

"_What are you doing…!"_

Squall faced the spider as it made a beeline for him. He focused all of his energy into his legs and bent them down, tensing his muscles. His eyes picked a crack about five metres ahead, and as soon as the robot crossed it, he dug his heels into the ground. Like a spring released from its coil, Squall shot vertically through the air. The Black Widow tried to intercept him, but Squall floated higher than it could jump. There was a screech of burning tires; the car was now speeding back at him. As a matter of fact, it was going to crash right into him. No, it was going to catch him. Squall was going to land right on the roof, and he would be safe. But at this rate, it looked as though he was going to end up as road kill. He thought wildly that Seifer might actually be trying to do him in, but did his best to navigate through thin air, and with a miraculous thump, his feet hit the sloped hood. The van's momentum pulled his legs out from under his body and lost his balance, slumping against the windshield. Seifer gave a harsh honk, and Squall edged over to the roof. The door swung open. Zell poked his head out, craning his neck to see him.

"That was some sick stuff! Can you get back in?"

"Yeah." He grabbed the frame and did a front flip, landing neatly into the back seat. Zell pulled the heavy door shut.

"Put it there, man!" Zell held out his hand for a high-five, but Squall whipped out his map.

"It's 18:53. Can we make it?"

"Easy, easy," Seifer dismissed with a lazy wave of his hand. He had his own device on the dashboard, a golden trail plotting out the most efficient way back.

Selphie was still keeping lookout from the rear-view mirror. Her eyes suddenly widened and she screamed "Watch it!" as a claw came ripping through the back of the van. It pulled away the rear entirely, leaving the cargo bay exposed. Squall gaped in horror at the red scanner, which burnt its bright light into his vision. One of the faux leather seats had been torn through; it littered foam stuffing onto the road from the giant slash on its back. Seifer jammed the acceleration and spun the steering wheel, and the other three were thrown into the wall as he made a sharp turn. Squall lost sight of the robot for a second, and then it was back on their tracks.

They sped down the alleys and streets, in hot pursuit on the drives and crescents, but gaining a lead by the avenues and boulevards. It was impossible to drive quickly and still make the hairpin swerves scattered along winding roads. They also had to dodge flaming debris and collapsed storefronts, which the robot trampled over as if they were inflatables. As they turned a corner and flew by the millionth set of townhouses, Squall prayed yet again that the spider would leave them, but his prayer was begged for in vain.

"How the hell can that thing keep goin'!" Zell turned to Selphie as though she was supposed to know the answer.

"Beats me! Time?"

"It's…" Squall really did not want to know, but he checked nevertheless. "18:57… 8."

"Oh bummer. Two minutes. C'mon captain!"

"I'm working on it!" he snapped, spinning the wheel a little too ferociously for a soft right turn.

Squall recognized their location now. He breathed a sigh of relief; they still had a chance.

Seifer had to slow down as the road became particularly narrow, but Squall turned to see, with pleasure, that X-ATM092 couldn't fit through the buildings. His joy was short-lived, however, as it hoisted itself up and walked diagonally through the streets, one set of legs bruising the ground, the other stabbing into doors and windows in a crunch of breaking glass. The army vehicle zoomed into the Central Square roundabout, and they were almost about to exit when they heard a bark.

"It's the dog!" Zell yelled, spinning around to stare out the back.

"Dog? DOG?" Selphie screeched. "SAVE THE DOG! SAVE IT!" Seifer ignored her, but with a lunge across the car, Selphie knocked Seifer's arms out of the way. She seized control, jerked the steering wheel to the left, and they skid all the way around the circular street with a terrible shriek of burning tires.

"Are you crazy!" Seifer tried to whack her hands away, but Selphie held on with a dangerous glint in her eyes. She aimed the car at the dog, which yelped and bounded away into the shelter of _Lufenia's Café_. Her gaze followed the gold bloodhound all the way to the doorstep, and only then did she return possession of the wheel to Seifer.

A giant metal pole burst through the ceiling, and everyone yelled in shock. Squall stared at the sharp barb that was the robot's foot, scrambling away as it flailed around seeking to impale a victim. Squall called out to Quetzalcoatl and threw the remainder of his energy at it in a wide torrent of static garbage. He saw the red scanner fade as he manipulated the electromagnetic field around them, and with a furious jab at the accelerator, the spider's limb trailed away, tearing a streak through their ceiling. Within seconds, the Black Widow resurrected, but they had shot down to the other side of the road.

Squall watched as the spider continued to chase them, smashing its mammoth foot right into the untouched blue car they had noticed on their way here. If he were any less agitated, he might have felt sorry for the owner. They passed _Spice _and _The Shining Bomber _in a blur of neon colours, and finally, the beach came into sight.

_19:00_

As soon as Squall saw the little numbers switch, the vessels withdrew from the shore. "No!" He watched despairingly as their rear hatches began to fold themselves back in.

All but one.

Seifer slammed on the breaks and they were thrown into the windshield. He kicked open the driver's door and the cadets flooded out onto the street. They ignored the stairs leading to the beach and vaulted over the platform onto the bloody sand, each connecting their speedy roll directly into a full-out sprint. An enormous thump told Squall that their enemy was right behind them. He was in the lead, but the others soon caught up as they formed a flat line, racing to the shore. An orange beam of light swept in front of him, followed by an eerie silence. _What the?_

Before he knew it, the ground had dropped away. His skin burned with agony and the beach was suddenly fifty feet below. All the cadets were screaming through the air in an explosion of powder. Squall fell back onto the sand, eyes tearing and mouth full of grit, crumpled in a heap. Pain seared through his bruised sides, and his muscles began to seize. Through the corner of his eyes, he saw the others fall right beside the remaining ship. Zell and Seifer staggered back up and climbed aboard, while Selphie lingered behind, staring, white-faced, at Squall. The vessel began to move away, treading through the water.

_No… Please…_

"Squall!" Their distant shouts circled his head, but the thumps of the Black Widow's feet were entrancing. He was going to die and fail his exam. He didn't know which was worse, although he supposed failing wouldn't be very significant once he was dead.

An enormous stalagmite impaled the robot with a crash of metal. It faded, but the sound caused Squall to snap to his senses. He began to stir, lifting himself from the ground and moving instinctively. His legs cycled along the sand of their own accrod, sending little clouds of dust into the air and forcing him at the vessel. X-ATM092 trampled along right behind him. He could hear its claws, whistling through the air as they lunged and swiped. The sand turned to mud and then water, and with a leap of undying faith, Squall threw his body at the rapidly departing ship.

A shrill beep resonated above, and before he landed, the shots of a machine gun spun out around him. He heard the sound of metal piercing metal, of a barrage of bullets flying through steel. A wave of sweat poured over his face as his right foot made contact with the ship. He swung his body forward and dragged the other leg on, and then he collapsed onto the very edge of the boat.

_Made it!_

A roar came from the robot and he turned his head, panting insanely. An endless chain of ammunition dug into its hide, piercing every inch of its body. The Black Widow lifted itself up and, like a raging tidal wave sweeping over a ship, attempted to mount their vessel. But the gunner fired on mercilessly. Squall looked up to the turret and saw a lock of blonde hair falling over the shoulder piece. _Instructor…?_

At last, the gunfire ceased. X-ATM092 stopped moving. Its figure teetered ominously in place. Their boat lurched away and the stern began to reseal itself as the spider fell against the shore. Just as the vessel walls clicked into place, Squall heard a satisfying explosion from the beach. _Mission complete._

"Gerlinde? This is Quistis from Squad B reporting. We have one member from Squad A aboard our ship. Would you check her off, please? …Yes. …Yes. Selphie Tilmitt... Alright. Thank you. Oh, and good job with the elite guards. That was some excellent combat! Yes, they are all safe. No, I haven't found out yet, but – yup. We shot it down with the gun turret. Oh, thank you! It wasn't hard. Yeah. See you back at Garden." Click. Instructor Trepe put the phone back into the wall-mounted receiver and turned to the cadets like a police officer arresting her suspects. "Now, I think some of us need to do a little explaining here." Everybody looked away, whether at the ceiling, the floor, or the boardroom table between the rows of black seats.

"We sent out four SeeD members to round up all the squads. Three groups were located immediately. One was nowhere to be found. So I sent off Selphie to search for them and deliver the order to withdraw." Instructor Trepe turned to her. "What happened after you left?"

Selphie told the instructor her side of story, about how she searched everywhere and could not find them, about how the dog had led her to the bridge through several shortcuts and how she snuck onto the roof of an army vehicle (that turned out to be theirs) in order to pass undetected. She explained the battles they had fought and the giant spider chasing them back to the shore. Instructor Trepe listened with a slight frown, nodding every now and then verifying her words against their expressions. She had her arms crossed, leaning against the cabin wall beside where Squall was sitting. Seifer was next to them, staring at the table with a scowl.

"Oh! And we Drew a GF from Elvoret. I have its token here." Selphie reached into a navy blue blouse pocket and pulled out the fine golden thread, shimmering dramatically in the artificial fluorescence. Instructor Trepe's eyes widened as she carefully picked up the other end.

"Thank you for turning it in. We'll analyse it, and if it's deemed safe, it'll be yours." She pocketed it. "Well, I guess there's no point in asking anymore questions. Everything will be clear soon enough. You're lucky to have made it back. Just relax for now."

'_Everything will be clear soon enough'?_

"I might as well collect your PHS's now, too. No point in making you hold onto them until we get back."

Silence. Not the kind Squall had sat through in the patio or the type he had met in Cid's office. Just the tired, lazy sort, typical of a humid summer afternoon.

"Instructor…"

"Yes, Squall?"

"The soldier we fought on the Communication Tower, Major Biggs; he used para-magic against us. I thought the army didn't approve of GFs?"

Instructor Trepe nodded. "That's right. It came as a shock to all of us SeeDs, too. But no, they weren't equipped with GFs. They had Junction Machines."

"_What?_" Zell sat up in his seat and leaned forward. "But Junction Machines are huge. And incredibly expensive."

"I know," said Instructor Trepe in awe, before her expression turned to an eye roll. "Well, not so much the expensive part. Galbadia is rich. But what's really extraordinary is that they've managed to recreate these things at a portable size. This is a huge leap in the field of science, but I don't mean it in a positive way. Think about it; if everyone walked around with Junction Machines, the world would be a battlefield. Junction Machines require enormous amounts of magic to operate. People would start selling energy, and I'd bet my teaching license that the planet would be sucked dry of its power once giant corporations start to harvest it. Maybe Galbadia's also found a way to increase efficiency, but I doubt it if they're small enough to carry."

"So that's why the Dollet army got creamed, then?" Zell slouched back into the imitation leather. "Cause the Galbadians were fighting with magic?"

"Quite possibly. And if they have been, then they've breached international law."

"But what about Dollet?" said Selphie.

"Well, I guess Dollet broke it first by hiring us. Sorceresses and magic must stay out of affairs like wars. Unfortunately, Galbadia happens to be the biggest influence on global regulations… They'll probably change that decree to fit their own needs."

Selphie rubbed her palms on her thighs. "I'm surprised the news reporters haven't let it leak yet."

"The broadcasting companies have likely been bribed. Naturally, the whole Kilika continent is supposed to be unaware of what's going on, but we also overheard a soldier talking about how the Trabia Broadcasting Corporation was being monitored."

"No way! They can't do that to my country!" said Selphie.

"Yes, they can," said Instructor Trepe apologetically. "Trabia has always been a close friend of Galbadia's. It's also always been the weaker of the two."

Everyone was quiet. Instructor Trepe prodded the ground with the tongue of her boot. "I have a feeling Galbadia is setting itself up for something big. And if it's for the worst, game over. They make more money than all the other countries put together, except for one. Our only hope left would be Esthar."

Esthar. Silent Esthar. The country that had vanished after the Sorceress War seventeen years ago. Nobody understood how they did it. One day there was a towering sprawl of buildings on the Bevelle continent. The next day, they left behind a waste field. All the citizens had disappeared without a trace. The communication lines were cut, the railways were shut down. Billions of phone numbers were suddenly invalid, and millions of website domains became available for use. Everyone knew the country was out there, somewhere, but nobody could penetrate its barriers. The only hints to its existence were the Odine Brand products and the technology they continued to ship off. Even so, they were a novelty to find.

The return trip was a silent tableau. Nobody spoke a word or loosened a limb. The most fascinating thing that happened was Instructor Xu walking out of the captain's hatch and disappearing through again after grabbing some papers on the conference table. Squall could feel a dull pain every time he drew breath. He had taken a Potion, but it had not been completely effective. His eyes began to droop, but he did not want to fall asleep. He began a rather fruitless battle to remain conscious, jerking up slightly every ten seconds. His dozing certainly made the journey seem shorter; the next moment the ship had slowed down, and before he could register what was happening, Instructor Xu had opened the hatch leading to the dock. The others rose around him and filed out of the boat.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** This chapter is definitely one of my favourites. It was fun to write and I actually liked it after I finished. I hope you all did too. I tried to balance the flow of information by letting out a good chunk of it now, rather than right before it's necessary, which would seem really out of the blue and artificial.

And this marks the end of my first group of updates. I'll be busy writing the rest, which you can expect to start coming up after around two months (I was serious when I said I wrote slowly, plus today is the unofficial end of my summer break). So if you like what you're reading, make sure you subscribe to updates! The next cluster is predicted to span until right before the dream sequence, which doesn't sound like much, but I have a lot of original scenes coming up to fill in the time gaps and add realism.

Once again, thanks to everyone who's reviewed, and I encourage you all to do so, even if it's just a short comment.


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